As 2017 marched on, policy guidelines started to roll in to help encourage adption of 3D printing throughout existing industry. This month we also announced that Dr Adrian Bowyer, inventor of RepRap project, would be receiving our award for Outstanding Contribution to 3D Printing, and covered a number of events across Europe.
Mapping out the future of additive
Keen to start as they mean to go on, the UK Department for Culture, Media & Sport released its forward-facing Digital Strategy, hoping to bring more Makerspaces and FabLabs to the nation through the introduction of regional Tech Hubs.
3D printing technology innovator America Makes also published its roadmap for the future of additive manufacturing in the U.S., and Ralph Resnick, President and Executive Director, National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and Founding Director of America Makes, wrote a guest post for the site about the cyber security risk in manufacturing.
A first time for everything
In an industry full of firsts, March was no exception. In this month, SpaceX set a date for the maiden voyage of its Crew Dragon spacecraft. The U.S. Navy 3D printed its first aircraft component for use inside a T-44 Pegasus airplane.
Deakin University researchers successfully 3D printing a superstrength Boron Nitride Nanotube (BNNT)/Titanium composite. And Cazza Technologies announced construction plans for a 3D printed skyscraper in Dubai.
Our popular Future of 3D Printing (the next five years) series also kicked off with an article from Rize, followed by subsequent contributions from Michigan Technological University’s Professor Joshua Pearce; Amy Davey of Renishaw and the NHS; Naomi Wu aka Sexy Cyborg; and Simon Fried, the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of Nano Dimension.
Around the world
Having travelled to more than 14 locations all around the world this year, the 3D Printing Industry team found ourselves in France and the Netherlands in March.
On the road with Jonathan Beck, founder of digital heritage project Scan the World, I interviewed Leisa Paoli, director of the Mougins Museum of Classical Art in the south of France, about creative curation and the digitalization of art.
Meanwhile in Eindhoven, Corey attended the Additive World ‘Industrial 3D printing’ conference to get a live demonstration of the MetalFAB1 machine from Additive Industries.
Don’t forget to nominate for the best stories of the year in the second annual 3D Printing Industry Awards now.
Never miss a story again – subscribe to the free 3D Printing Industry newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
Featured image shows Dr. Adrian Bowyer. Photo via Phaidon
