Current Status and Future Prospects of the 3D Printing Industry

Source: Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, Photocurable New Materials

Compiled by: Jiuri New Materials Industry Development Department

Application Deepening: Deploying 3D Printing Across Various Sectors

In recent years, driven by continuous advances in 3D‑printing research and development, additive manufacturing has been successfully deployed across sectors such as aerospace, biomedicine, construction, and automotive, yielding groundbreaking progress. The successful development of the first high‑throughput, integrated bio‑3D printer has not only accelerated the clinical translation of 3D‑printed medical devices and engineered tissues and organs but has also provided critical technical support for the deeper integration of 3D‑printing technologies into diverse applications.

From the perspective of 3D printing applications both domestically and internationally, over the past two years, countries around the world have steadily expanded the use of this technology, achieving widespread adoption in sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, and construction. In contrast to international developments, China… 3D printing It has found broader applications in fields such as aerospace and biomedicine, though these are predominantly confined to industry-specific use cases. Looking ahead, as 3D printing technology continues to evolve and mature, various sectors will deepen their adoption of this technology while steadily expanding its scope of application.

Accelerating Growth and Scaling Up: Global Market Size Exceeded US$22 Billion in 2020

Driven by advancements in 3D printing technology and increased capital investment, the domestic and international 3D printing market continues to expand. According to statistics from the “2017–2022 China 3D Printing Industry Market Demand and Investment Prospects Analysis Report” published by the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, the global 3D printing market has grown from US$2.3 billion in 2012 to US$6.06 billion in 2016, with an average annual compound growth rate of 20.40%. Looking ahead, Qianzhan forecasts that, fueled by rising market demand and industry development, the global 3D printing market could exceed US$22 billion by 2022.

On April 29, 2020, Eileen Weber, President of the North American Radiation Curing Association, delivered a webinar in which she noted that, based on the average annual growth rate of specific application‑related consumption over the past two years, 3D printing has achieved an average annual growth rate of 14.6% within the radiation curing market. 3D‑printing applications have now moved beyond the hype cycle’s peak and decline phases and have entered the plateau of productivity, where they are beginning to identify their true market potential—clarifying what value they can deliver and how they can ultimately be deployed. 3D printing may offer enhanced functionality and new products by disrupting traditional applications in innovative ways. According to Eileen Weber, this growing demand is no longer illusory or exaggerated; rather, it heralds a genuine period of promise and will eventually be adopted for large‑scale production.

Bright Prospects: The Future of 3D Printing Looks Promising

The development of the 3D printing industry represents a breakthrough in its application to traditional sectors, driven by technological advances. With ongoing technological support, both domestically and internationally, the outlook for 3D printing is promising. However, as an emerging industry, China’s 3D printing sector must advance in tandem across three key areas: national policy, upstream supply chains, and downstream applications. Under the impetus of national policies, it is essential to intensify research and development of 3D‑printing materials; even more crucial is fostering greater R&D and application awareness among relevant enterprises and expanding the adoption of 3D‑printing technologies in end‑use applications, thereby catalyzing innovation in traditional manufacturing.