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EU regional and urban development

High Performance Production 3D Printing

Context

Among the most innovative manufacturing solutions of the last years, additive manufacturing (AM) technologies proved to be one of the most promising production technologies. AM empowers the transition from mass production to mass customisation in several leading sectors. AM is an instrumental technology in the green and smart transitions. AM corresponds to relative high levels of technology maturity or even market maturity already: some applications have reached TRL 9 and are broadly deployed, but many more are at post-prototyping level and should be fully deployed soon. In order to embrace the full potential of AM, it was (and still is) demonstrated that cross regional cooperation is needed, especially in the field of 'demonstration activities' ('test before invest'): to ensure a supported and facilitated access to relevant infrastructures, to reach critical mass for the development of strategic projects enabling mass deployment of the smart and green solutions, etc.

Year established: 2014

Mission

The VI 3DP Pilot mission is to accelerate market deployment and uptake of 3DP innovative solutions, directly contributing to the emergence of new, smarter and/or greener value chains. In order to do so, the VI 3DP Pilot develops industry-led, transregional ecosystems and projects that connect 3DP capabilities and actors. The VI 3DP Pilot also fosters co-investment by 1) addressing horizontal challenges (e.g., funding, awareness, etc.) and 2) ensuring availability and accessibility to equipment and infrastructures that will effectively serve the needs of the industry.

Objectives

The VI 3DP Pilot aims at facilitating the pan-EU deployment and the uptake of 3DP-based innovative solutions. In order to do so, the VI 3DP Pilot is currently pursuing the following specific objectives.

  1. Framing a proper EU market/market for 3DP-based innovative solutions, addressing the asymmetry of information in the fragmented landscape.
  2. Designing and implementing strategic and cross regional demonstration projects, towards addressing needs of the industry/end-users by activating relevant resources in the ecosystems. 3) Improving the structural/framework conditions on which the actors in the AM Value Chain are operating (incl. access to funding for cross regional projects, etc.).
  3. Assessing and communicating strategic gaps and needs analysis (in terms of emerging demand and supply of demonstration services), towards a roadmap strategy.

Shared smart specialisation areas

In general, members regions list '3DP' or 'Additive Manufacturing' as a direct priority. Such a priority is often part of broader prioritised topics/themes (in the field of 'ICT & Industry 4.0') like 'Advanced Manufacturing', 'Innovative Materials for manufacturing' or 'Digital manufacturing'. 3DP/AM is also linked to other priorities beyond 'ICT&Industry 4.0', like e.g., 'Innovative construction materials' or 'MedTech and Connected Health'. Demonstrating the transversal dimension of AM.

Tags

3DP, AM, Advanced Manufacturing, demonstration services and solutions, cross regional projects, technology providers, facility centres, Business Innovators, Connections, Projects generations, community building, funding, market deployment

Regions (lead and partner)

  • Leading regions: Flanders (BE), Norte (PT), South-Netherlands (NL)
  • Participating regions: Aragon (ES), Asturias (ES), Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen – South Tyrol (IT), Autonomous Province of Trento (IT), Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (FR), Cantabria (ES), Catalonia (ES), East Netherlands (NL), East and North Finland (FI), Emilia Romagna (IT), Friuli Venezia Giulia (IT), Galicia (ES), Gävleborg (SE), Lombardy (IT), Lower Austria (AT), Lower Saxony (DE), Malopolska (PL), North Rhine-Westphalia (DE), Orebro Lan (SE), Pays de la Loire (FR), Piemonte (IT), Saxony (DE), Saxony-Anhalt (DE), Slovenia (SI), South Tyrol (IT), Tampere (FI), Värmland (SE), Wallonia (BE)

Organisations involved

The VI 3DP Pilot is a cross regional ecosystem of 30 members regions, grouping and connecting more than 250 distinct organisations.

Related projects

  • Optimisation of Production by 3DP (3DOP). 3DOP (3D Printing Optimised Production) aims at removing the bottlenecks in competitive price and quality levels of strategic AM solutions. The project will contribute to lowering cost of metal printing, automate AM factories, deploy electronics printing solutions and improve AM-based repairing techniques. More information  here. 
  • The DG GROW 3DP Pan EU project. The VI Pilot concluded the ‘3DP Pan EU’ project, that aimed at fostering awareness, knowledge and uptake of 3D Printing technologies in Europe by facilitating and promoting SMEs’ access to high quality services related to testing, validating and certifying 3D Printing solutions.
  • The VI 3DP Pilot implement ed various additional industry/SMEs-led projects, activating funding sources like Trinity, IRA-SME, CORNET, 3DP Pan EU Open Call, Vanguard Initiative Success Story, but also, HE / H2020 Cluster 4 Innovation Actions and KIC Raw Materials-related projects. 

    • Contact

    Latest news and upcoming events

    • Funding Opportunities Webinar on 28.02.2024
    • 3DP Business Innovators Meeting 09.04.2024 – The identification of solutions to end-users challenges
    • 3DP Business Innovators Meeting in Barcelona, 16 and 17 October 2024
    • Webinar 'Smart AM for Sustainable Production' in Autumn 2024

    Other relevant information