The survey was conducted among 320 companies in the information and communication technology sector in Germany. Of those participants, 81% believe that 3D printing will strongly change the way that industry operates in the future.
Even though the vast majority of respondents did believe that 3D printing would have an effect of industry, only 3% believed the technology would revolutionize the entire Germany economy.
Bernhard Rohleder, BitKom’s Managing Director, may have summed the results of the survey up best, "Three-dimensional printers have the potential to significantly and sustainedly change many industries." But Rohleder’s assessment wasn’t without its concerns. If industries want to adopt this new technology, “"Value-creation chains will change significantly, and product and brand protection will have to be completely reassessed."
In a changing industrial landscape, 3D printing looks to play a significant role in the future of manufacturing but implementing the technology comes with its own set of headaches. Companies looking to leverage the technology would be wise to begin planning for the future today.
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