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© The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2016.

Part of the PRODUCERS OF TOMORROW series

Additivemanufacturing

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Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, and collaborative production have the potential to reinvent manufacturing supply chains. A tie-up between Shapeways, a 3D-printing company, and Panalpina, a logistics services provider, is a step in this direction. Shapeways enables customers to make, customise and even sell their products on its platform. Panalpina brings the potential to increase geographic reach and distribution capabilities. 3D printing may have only begun to transform build-to-order strategies.

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3D printing is no longer only used for prototyping. It is also involved in direct production. The technology can reduce unit manufacturing costs for small and medium-sized production runs. Eventually 3D printing's cost benefits may also apply to large-scale manufacturing.

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Source: Deloitte University Press, 3D opportunity: Additive manufacturing paths to performance, innovation, and growth, January 2014.