The global nature of the 3D printing market is one of the biggest drivers of true globalization, the kind where companies from different nationalities share the global market ecosystem. The different 3D printing shows taking place throughout the word are a clear demonstration of this trend as local circuits act as windows for foreign companies into a national market, while allowing local companies to access the international markets. In few places is this more important than in Russia, where recent political tensions are overcome by the will of local 3D printing entrepreneurs to connect to the world.
While still in its infancy, 3D Print Expo is currently the largest circuit for such exhibits and conferences throughout Russia and the CIS countries. After Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, the show is now heading back inside the Russian borders with the newly announced St. Petersburg Conference, which will precede the final stop in Moscow’s Sokoliniki Convention Center next October.
“The Russian 3D printing market is still very much in development,” said Alla Vavilova, who has been organizing the 3D printing conferences since about two years ago, when she discovered 3D printing and applied her experience as an event organizer for the music and movie industries to this blooming sector. “To me it has been almost like magic,” Alla reveals, “Since I found out about 3D printing my life has changed completely.”
“The number of exhibitors in our shows has been steadily steadily growing,” she continued, “and the business each company is generating is growing as well. This year, we have as a Silver sponsor a company called 3D Shop, which was just starting out when we began organizing the 3D Print Expo and is now a reseller of desktop systems, as well as professional and industrial systems by 3D Systems and EOS.” Other companies such as Picaso3D, Russia’s first desktop 3D printer manufacturer, launched their first 3D printer at the 3D Print Expo and is now enjoying commercial success on a national and international level with its DesignerPro250 system.
Alla admits there is still a lot of work to do to get the really large companies involved. She revealed that they are in talks with large metal 3D printer manufacturers, such SLM Solution, as well as other internationally relevant Russian companies, such as 3D Bioprinting Solutions. The line up of exhibitors to the upcoming Moscow show in October includes several international names, however, for the market to really grow Alla agrees that there will need to be a more streamlined communication and collaboration with big 3D printing adopters in the medical field, industrial manufacturing and aerospace.
“This is all going to come in due time. To me 3D printing is almost like magic. I used to organize events in Cinema and Music and since I found out about it, my life has changed completely. I have made connections with incredible people in Russia and all over the world and we now want to contribute spread this awareness starting with the conference in St. Petersburg, which will focus focus on technological development, business opportunities and education. These are same basic pillars that the world of 3D printing is based on, and these ideas have no borders.”
