Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi delve into the transformative role of 3D printing in 2025, from revolutionizing healthcare to reshaping defense and energy industries amid global challenges.
As we enter 2025, the 3D printing industry stands at the cusp of transformative growth. With advancements in technology, a favorable policy environment under the new Administration, and burgeoning applications across diverse sectors, 3D printing is poised to redefine manufacturing and innovation globally. From medtech and biotech to energy, defense, and beyond, this year holds immense promise for 3D printing as it tackles critical challenges and capitalizes on emerging opportunities.
A Favorable Policy Landscape for Manufacturing
The new Administration’s deregulatory stance is expected to catalyze growth across manufacturing sectors, including 3D printing. Policies aimed at reducing bureaucratic red tape and streamlining industrial processes have already gained traction. For the 3D printing industry, these measures promise to lower barriers to entry, accelerate product innovation, and enhance the efficiency of production cycles.
One key area benefiting from deregulation is industrial-scale manufacturing. With fewer compliance hurdles, companies can implement 3D printing to optimize supply chains, reduce waste, and localize production. This flexibility is particularly critical for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), which now have greater freedom to innovate without the high costs associated with regulatory delays. As a result, 2025 could see an unprecedented rise in the adoption of additive manufacturing for everything from consumer goods to industrial machinery.
Medtech and Biotech: A Growth Frontier
Few sectors showcase the transformative potential of 3D printing as vividly as medtech and biotech. In 2025, advancements in 3D printing will likely revolutionize patient care, personalized medicine, and biomanufacturing processes.
Examples of Companies Leading the Charge
- Organovo: Known for its pioneering work in bioprinting, Organovo aims to commercialize functional human tissues in 2025, bringing us closer to lab-grown organs for transplantation.
- 3D Systems: With its focus on medical devices, 3D Systems plans to expand its portfolio of custom prosthetics and implants, leveraging 3D printing to deliver highly tailored solutions.
- Stratasys: The company is targeting applications in dental and orthopedic sectors, using additive manufacturing to produce precise, patient-specific devices at scale.
The deregulated environment amplifies these ambitions, allowing faster FDA approvals and streamlined compliance processes. Innovations in bioprinting, for instance, could see accelerated clinical trials and broader adoption in hospitals worldwide. Furthermore, collaborations between 3D printing firms and pharmaceutical giants are set to yield groundbreaking advancements in drug delivery systems and regenerative medicine.
Tariffs and Their Impact
Tariffs will remain a central economic theme in 2025. With global supply chains facing disruptions from geopolitical tensions and economic competition, the 3D printing industry may find both challenges and opportunities in navigating these complexities.
While increased tariffs on raw materials such as rare metals could raise costs, the localized production capabilities of 3D printing offer a viable workaround. By minimizing dependence on imported components, manufacturers can mitigate tariff impacts and enhance economic resilience. Moreover, governments may introduce incentives for industries that adopt additive manufacturing to strengthen domestic supply chains.
Oil and Gas: A New Frontier for Additive Manufacturing
The Administration’s renewed emphasis on oil and gas in 2025 is shaping this sector as a significant opportunity for 3D printing. Additive manufacturing can play a critical role in addressing challenges such as equipment maintenance, pipeline construction, and spare parts production.
Applications in the Oil and Gas Sector
- Customized Components: 3D printing allows for the rapid fabrication of highly specialized parts, reducing downtime and improving operational efficiency.
- On-Site Manufacturing: Remote oil fields and offshore rigs can utilize portable 3D printers to produce parts on demand, eliminating the need for costly logistical delays.
- Corrosion-Resistant Materials: Advances in metal additive manufacturing enable the production of components with enhanced durability, ideal for harsh environments.
By integrating 3D printing into oil and gas operations, companies can cut costs, reduce waste, and improve sustainability—key priorities for an industry under increasing scrutiny.
Defense and the Geopolitical Landscape
Global unrest, with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East (Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah), Eastern Europe (Ukraine-Russia), and Asia-Pacific (China-Taiwan), underscores the growing importance of defense readiness. In this context, 3D printing is emerging as a game-changer for the defense industry.
3D Printing in Defense
- Rapid Prototyping: Defense contractors are leveraging additive manufacturing to develop and test advanced weaponry at unprecedented speeds.
- Spare Parts on Demand: Military operations in remote or conflict-prone areas can benefit from 3D printers capable of producing replacement parts on-site, ensuring mission continuity.
- Lightweight Drones and Vehicles: Additive manufacturing enables the creation of lightweight, durable components for drones, armored vehicles, and other defense equipment.
Major players like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies are expanding their use of 3D printing to enhance supply chain flexibility and reduce production timelines. Additionally, defense agencies are exploring the potential of bioprinted tissues for battlefield medical applications, a convergence of medtech and defense innovation.
A Path Forward Amid Global Challenges
The year 2025 is also marked by global challenges, from the economic fallout of wars to supply chain disruptions and climate change. Amid these difficulties, 3D printing offers a pathway to resilience and recovery.
Examples Across Sectors
- Infrastructure Reconstruction: War-torn regions can use large-scale 3D printers to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals quickly and affordably.
- Localized Manufacturing: By reducing reliance on international trade routes, additive manufacturing can help stabilize economies affected by conflict.
- Sustainable Practices: From recycled materials to energy-efficient production, 3D printing supports a greener approach to manufacturing, crucial in a world grappling with climate crises.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing and revising 3D printed prototypes are typically eligible expenses toward the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software can also be an eligible R&D expense. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
Conclusion
As we tread into 2025, the potential for 3D printing to reshape industries and address global challenges has never been greater. With a supportive policy environment, groundbreaking applications in medtech, biotech, energy, and defense, and a commitment to innovation, this year holds immense promise.
Let us start the year with optimism and good intentions, ready to harness the transformative power of 3D printing to build a better, more sustainable, and resilient future.
