Key Trends and Developments in the Additive Manufacturing Startup and Technology Landscape

摘要

Innovation in additive manufacturing has expanded in recent years with major developments arising in printable materials, printing technologies, and software. Startups are the most indicative group of innovators in additive manufacturing. Tracking and analyzing the startup landscape helps identify emerging technologies and market dynamics in order to develop strategic plans that best leverage additive manufacturing. By getting detailed information from startups and analyzing them on a range of quantitative and qualitative factors, innovation grids are created that detail startup activity in a particular segment. Grouping startups in this fashion shows leaders and laggards, indicates the maturity and promise of a technology category such as stereolithography, and reinforces or refutes partnership considerations. Major trends including material feedstock form factor, the emergence of desktop professional printers, and printable composite materials are illustrated with examples, and their strategic implications are discussed.