In the thirty years since the founding of the 3D printing industry, countless printing technologies have been invented, patented, and commercialized - from fused filament fabrication to digital light processing, selective laser melting to binder jetting, material jetting to sheet lamination, and every unique printing technology in between. With every new technology, the additive manufacturing market has grown its ability to expand into new applications, end-users, and industries. From this perspective, 3D printers can be considered the core foundation underlying the additive manufacturing industry's growth in recent years.

Wednesday 8 December 2021 - How has COVID-19 affected the 3D printing industry? Is the industry already on the path to recovery, or is the pandemic a major setback to AM's progress? What do the IPOs, mergers, acquisitions, and SPAC-offerings mean for the future of 3D printing? and more.

Within this year of recovery, IDTechEx has noted the development and/or continuation of micro-trends within each major 3D printing subspecialty: polymer, ceramic, composite, and metal additive manufacturing. In this article, IDTechEx identifies and explains the micro-trends for each material specialty that are worth keeping an eye on going into 2022.

Thursday 9 December 2021 - Assessment of the key mergers and acquisitions; Important funding rounds across; Notable partnerships; Establishment and expansion of production facilities; Role in key application areas including electronic devices, energy storage and 3D printing; Progression in various fields of green technology