Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
“
Where these new technologies do have a role to play, the disruption they are likely to
cause is substantial. They suggest that the era of offshoring and outsourcing is coming to
an end, as is the global search for low-cost assembly. On a competitive level, the domina-
tion of manufacturing industries by a small number of large global organizations may also
be at an end, as a wave of nimble start-up can operate with far less capital or scale and
still be competitive. We believe the implications of these changes are as big as the wave of
It might sound like a sensationalistic article out of “The Crux” or “Zero Hedge” but it is
written by the Vice President & Global Industry Leader of Electronics at IBM, which cer-
tainly adds a bit more of weight to the standpoint that 3D printing will revolutionize the
way we manufacture things. It should be noted that some of the messages from IBMs study
are similar to another corner stone in the 3D hype of previous years: The Economist's spe-
cial issue “The Third Industrial Revolution” from 2012. The tendency to hype 3D printing
is clearly not restricted to some effect seeking media channels, as the following message
can be found on the European Commission's webpage “Digital agenda for Europe”: “3D
printing and digital manufacturing will change the world to a similar or even bigger extent
[l]
than the Web did over the last decade
”.
