HP Innovation Journal Issue 11: Winter 2018 | Page 19
greater wealth, cheaper goods, increased consumer spending
power, and more jobs.
EMBRACING THE FUTURE
Asia-Pacific provides fertile ground for 3D printing to
flourish, with the region accounting for nearly half the global
manufacturing market. The demand needed to push the
adoption of 3D printing is rising. The continued growth
of the region’s economies requires the utilization of new
technology, a radical reduction in the intensity of resource
use, more cost-effective production, and a skilled and
tech-savvy workforce.
In China, these transformations have already begun. By the
end of 2018, the nation will spend more than $1.5 billion on
3D printing. HP, together with Guangdong (Dali) 3D Printing
Collaborative Innovation Platform, recently unveiled a new
production-grade 3D printing center in China—the world’s
largest manufacturing market. This is HP’s largest
deployment of production-grade 3D printing in Asia-Pacific.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
has identified advanced manufacturing as one of the country’s
key growth sectors, predicting it will reach $270 billion by
2020. As Japan continues to transform its manufacturing,
health care, processes, and infrastructure, there has been an
increased focus on Industry 4.0 technologies such as the
Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), and 3D printing.
This is just the start. Sensing the potential impact,
governments across the region are investing significantly in
building 3D printing ecosystems. In 2017, the South Korean
government announced its plans to invest $37 million to
speed up the country’s development of 3D printing. China
has also announced plans to invest $245 million over the
next seven years to boost its output, with the National
Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center allocating $132
million to research and development (R&D) and
applications. Over the coming decade, China is expected to
overtake the United States as the largest R&D spender,
increasing the likelihood of 3D printing success. South
Korea, Singapore, and China are also among the top global
spenders on 3D printing, with year-on-year spend increasing
by 10%, 8.2% and 6.4%, respectively. 7
Singapore has similarly identified the potential impact of 3D
printing, especially in areas such as biomedicine. HP, Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), and the National Research
Foundation recently launched the new HP-NTU Digital
Manufacturing Corporate Lab. Hundreds of its researchers
and staff will focus on advancing 3D printing, using AI,
machine learning, new applications and materials,
cybersecurity, and customization. The lab will further
establish Singapore as a key center of excellence in the global
3D printing ecosystem by driving rapid outcomes, from basic
research to applications in higher technology readiness levels.
ASIA RISING: 3D PRINTING IN APJ
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