The Geography of 3D Printing

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has existed since the 1980s. Since then, the innovation has spread and many companies are working on new applications or new 3D printing machines. In some ways, 3D printing is flexible because the machines can produce items in almost any location, this has been considered an advantage that can reduce logistics cost. Linked to this, one might also expect that 3D printers can be developed in different environments. This study is focused on the geography of 3D printing by examining the location of 3D printing companies. The analysis focuses on the main industrial 3D printing companies and examines where companies are located and whether some countries have a higher concentration of companies. It is found that the main companies that produce industrial 3D printers are located in only 12 countries, that the majority of companies is relatively young, and that about 20% were academic spin-offs.