nFRONTIER Lands First AM Partner: Stratasys

nFRONTIER signed a partnership deal with Stratasys to develop advanced 3D print applications.

Berlin-based nFRONTIER is an “Innovation Studio” that describes themselves in this way:

“We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier — the frontier of the 2020s, the frontier of climate change, the frontier of the second machine age, the frontier of a [post] pandemic world… Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of unique opportunity and hope for a better tomorrow enabled by impact driven products, business models and ventures…”

nFRONTIER was founded in 2020 by three individuals who have all spent time at BigRep. There’s considerable additive manufacturing experience at this innovation studio.

There’s not much public information about nFRONTIER’s activities, and their website is perhaps one of the most obscure I’ve seen in recent years. However, we do know that they want to “reshape today’s product creation patterns” using a mysterious operating model they call “A to L”. Their method will be to pursue integrations between eight emerging technologies:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality
• Artificial Intelligence
• Internet of Things
• Robotics
• Generative Design
• Drones
• Quantum Computing.

We’ve already seen some overlap between these disciplines in the 3D print industry, and each has provided notable advances. I believe nFRONTIER is correct in looking for deeper integrations between these technologies.

nFRONTIER has created a center for this to occur, the Emerging Technologies Center, or “EmTeCe”. They explain:

“The EmTeCe will serve as a dynamic lab environment with the nFrontier pioneers teams co-creating radically new technical solutions. Enabled by the expertise, high-tech equipment and infrastructure provided by technology partners like Stratasys, the EmTeCe will showcase new ways of developing innovative products for its customers. Located in the heart of Berlin, the EmTeCe aims at becoming a key international institution for digital design and product development and a landmark of the German capital’s tech-scene, to date dominated by software and platform businesses.”

The arrangement with Stratasys has the 3D printing giant providing nFRONTIER with FDM, PolyJet and P3 (Origin) technologies. This equipment, along with other equipment and software from future partners, will enable nFRONTIER to accelerate the development of products for consumers and industry.

We don’t know of any products yet to come out of this new activity stream, but it’s clear there are countless opportunities to develop many different ideas and products using the above combination of technologies.

When that happens, it will surely drive more adoption of 3D printing in two ways.

First, if a “hot” product is created, there could be a need for ongoing production 3D printing of the product or its components.

Secondly, popular products made using the nFRONTIER approach may trigger competitors to develop similar products, again driving more use of 3D printing.

I’m interested to see how this partnership evolves, and which other 3D printer manufacturers participate in the future.

Via nFRONTIER