Establishment of the Application Center for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (3D-printing) being a complementary manufacturing technology provides enormous opportunities to produce parts in ways that previously was impossible and that to some extent the complexity comes for free. However, to be able to determine if additive manufacturing is the right way forward for various business cases accessibility to competence and infrastructure is essential. Given the high capital investment both in terms of securing the right competence and access to various manufacturing routes, the threshold is high, even for the larger corporates.

Analyze the industrial needs

The aim of this project is to evaluate and analyze the industrial needs for which elements that must be in an open test and demonstration environment for additive manufacturing to be a good fit for the industry. Aside from being able to understand which elements that are of high interest, also how to secure an easy and full access is of great importance, where the industrial partners are able to hand-in-hand work either together with researchers or with other industrial partners in independent and secured environment. How should the booking of the environment be realized, which level of access should be provided and under which circumstances, how should the financial model of such environment be created to have a sustainability both in terms of financing, competence level and always being in the technological forefront? 

Vision to create a co-creation environment

The goal of the feasibility study is to understand how to strengthen the Västra Götaland region as the leading knowledge and innovation region and attract researchers and international corporates to Västra Götaland regionen. The long-term vision of the project is to create a co-creation environment where research institutes, academia, and industrial partners (large corporate as well as small and medium-sized enterprises) are collaborating in an independent and risk-free environment. Being able to push the boundaries it is essential to invite and collaborate between the borders, where material suppliers, machine vendors, software providers, certification, and standardization bodies, are collaborating to ensure adoption of the technology.

Update: In fall 2021 the Application Center for Additive Manufacturing will be launched. See website.