A new World Economic Forum (WEF) report includes AM in its policy recommendations aimed at strengthening regional manufacturing capabilities and supply chain flexibility.
Developed with consulting firm Kearney and drawing on consultations with over 100 industry and government leaders and survey data from more than 300 global executives, the Global Value Chains Outlook 2026: Orchestrating Corporate and National Agility report focuses primarily on how companies and governments should respond to what it calls “structural volatility” driven by geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, and resource constraints.
While the report covers broad supply chain strategy, it specifically names additive manufacturing in its technology and innovation policy section. Governments should “deploy incentives and transformation programmes for local companies, including SMEs, to advance industrial transformation, technology adoption (e.g. IoT, cloud computing, robotics, additive manufacturing), and strengthen R&D,” according to the report.
Flexibility over efficiency: Where AM fits
Although AM appears only a few times in the report, the context matters. Among advanced manufacturing capabilities that governments are encouraged to support through targeted incentives, the technology receives particular emphasis for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Another mention appears in the report’s discussion of “distributed scale,” a production model favoring networks of smaller, regionally autonomous facilities over single large manufacturing sites. According to the document, “adopting on-demand solutions like 3D printing further enhances this adaptability, drastically shortening supply lines and boosting market responsiveness.”
These brief mentions place AM within a broader framework for reshaping global production networks. Supply chain disruptions have shifted from cyclical events to permanent structural conditions, the document argues, requiring both businesses and policymakers to fundamentally rethink their approaches.
Companies should move toward “distributed scale” through smaller, more flexible manufacturing facilities that can be rapidly reconfigured, according to the report’s recommendations. For governments, it outlines policy guidance across seven areas including infrastructure, technology and innovation, labor and skills, and regulatory environment.
Rather than positioning AM as a replacement for conventional manufacturing or claiming it’s universally cost-competitive at scale, the report treats the technology as one element within mixed manufacturing systems designed to operate under uncertain conditions.
The report’s inclusion of AM reflects a change in how manufacturing capacity is assessed under persistent volatility. When trade access, policy conditions, and demand patterns fluctuate, the economic viability of manufacturing assets depends more on utilization risk, deployment speed, and capital recovery timelines.
Production models that support smaller, modular footprints reduce exposure to idle capacity and allow investment to track demand more closely. Within this evaluation framework, the technology supports distributed manufacturing by enabling capacity to be placed, scaled, and adjusted with lower financial commitment.
Additionally, the report introduces a new analytical tool called the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Readiness Navigator. Companies and governments can use it to assess manufacturing locations.
Industry makes the case for AM in supply chain
Supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed structural limits in centralized manufacturing models, accelerating industry advocacy for technologies that support distributed production and faster response.
Testimony before Congress last year from Beehive Industries demonstrated how AM addresses defense supply chain vulnerabilities. AM reduces lead times from years to months while eliminating dependence on foreign components from adversarial nations, the company’s Chief Product Officer told the US House Financial Services Subcommittee.
The Defense Production Act’s Title III provisions provide loan guarantees and purchase commitments that reduce risks for small manufacturers, he highlighted. The testimony recommended updates to better support AM transitions from prototype to production.
In Europe, the industry made its case for similar support when the European Association of Manufacturing Technologies launched the Manifesto for a Competitive European Additive Manufacturing Sector. Co-signed by ten national associations representing the AM ecosystem across Europe, the manifesto calls for coordinated government strategy to secure Europe’s position as a global leader in AM, explicitly linking the technology to supply chain resilience and localized production.
The manifesto recommended establishing a dedicated European AM entity through public-private partnership and integrating AM into emergency response infrastructure through distributed production networks. It emphasized AM’s role in strengthening supply chain control, reducing reliance on external suppliers, and enabling rapid, localized production of critical parts during crises.
The 3D Printing Industry Awards are back. Make your nominations now.
Do you operate a 3D printing start-up? Reach readers, potential investors, and customers with the 3D Printing Industry Start-up of Year competition.
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn.
While you’re here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.
Featured image shows country readiness factors for manufacturing and supply chains. Image via WEF.
