We listened to CEO David Reis at Stratasys’ press conference this week as he outlined a new corporate strategy. One that’s quite different from their previous approaches.
We’re attending EuroMold in Frankfurt, where the big players in the 3D printing universe show their wares annually to hordes of prospects and buyers. Typically, you’d see manufacturers announce and exhibit new equipment, perhaps the latest color machine, or a special new 3D printing material.
We expected the same this year, but curiously Stratasys had already announced a few new machines several weeks ago. Would they announce even more?
Apparently not. No, they talked a little bit about their new machines – which by the way are quite interesting – but most of their time was spent talking about their new strategy. It’s a strategy of outreach and not so much machine enhancements.
The new strategy involves outreach to specific manufacturing verticals. Specifically, they now focus on automotive, aerospace, educational, dental and medical applications. By “focus”, they mean to demonstrate to the practitioners of these verticals the clear advantages of 3D printing technology. For example, at the EuroMold show they have specific examples of each domain set up, ready for passers-by to recognize their area and gain new understandings.
It’s a bold move. We suspect it’s because while many companies do take some advantages from 3D printing, a great many do not yet do so. There’s learnings to be had, new applications to be developed, equipment to be sold and amazing results to be obtained. Stratasys wishes to show specific industries exactly how to do so. And gain a boatload of new customers in the process.
This is a way for Stratasys to grow their market in ways other than simply enhancing equipment, which they’ll also continue to do.
So it’s less about NEW machinery and more about what to do WITH machinery. It’s about results.
But for users of equipment, it always was about results. Now Stratasys is simply meeting that need head-on. It’s a very good move.
