Digital manufacturing can be a huge help in quickly filling parts shortages, creating new and more effective designs, and helping bridge disrupted supply chains. That’s why we are mobilising both our own internal team, as well as collaborating with our global partner community, to design, validate, and begin producing critical parts for medical responders and hospitals – respirator valves, breathing filters, face mask clasps, and more.
Ramon Pastor, President of HP’s 3D Printing & Digital Manufacturing business.
If this pandemic provides the impetus for 3D printing to be more widely adopted in manufacturing what will happen to value chains?
Global Value Chains will be negatively affected
Laplume and al. find that 3D printing is highly applicable in certain industries, such as manufacturing of machinery and equipment, whereas other industries, including the manufacture of basic metals, chemicals, paper products and textiles are unlikely to be affected in any foreseeable future. In particular, in industry segments with short production runs and low degree of automation, adoption of 3D printing technology may be pervasive. As a result:
- In some industries the new manufacturing technology is likely to pull manufacturing value chains in the direction of becoming more local, and closer to the end-users;
- In addition 3D printing induces the engagement of a wider variety of firms (local and online print shops), as well as households, in manufacturing.
Global Value Chains from a 3D Printing Perspective
Authors: Andre Laplume, Bent Petersen, Joshua M. Pearce
By: Michigan Technological University, Copenhagen Business School
The effect on trade depends on product characteristics
Freund and al. use a difference-in-differences methodology to estimate the impact of 3D printing on trade. Their findings suggest:
- 3D printing will lead to a reshuffling in comparative advantage from labor abundant / developing economies to capital abundant / advanced economies;
- The impact of 3D printing on exports decreases with product weight: exports of lighter products such as spectacles increased the most after the technology became available while the impact becomes insignificant for heavier product such as aircraft and spacecraft parts;
- 3D printing is more likely to lead to a fragmented production for products that are light and, hence, cheaper to trade.
Is 3D Printing a Threat to Global Trade? The Trade Effects You Didn’t Hear About
Authors: Caroline Freund, Alen Mulabdic, Michele Ruta
From: World Bank
