3D Printing Industry in Germany
The German edition of The 3D Printing World Guide was published on 2025-01-28. It featured fourteen companies representing six segments of Germany 3D printing market.
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Germany 3D printing industry
Anyone who was already using 3D printing around the turn of the millennium, back when it was still called „rapid prototyping,” belonged to a very small group of companies that had access to this technology. How quickly and easily prototypes could be created back then was often kept a closely guarded secret.
This was the case around 2009, when SLA and SLS components were still traded like gold. If a similarly large component costs 300 to 400 euros today, the price back then was about 5,000 euros. There was little competition, and it was lucky to know someone who mastered the technology.
In the years that followed, especially in 2013, the hype around 3D printing ignited the right zeitgeist. Manufacturers like EOS, Concept Laser, and SLM Solutions shaped innovations in metal 3D printing, while companies like GermanRepRap and BigRep helped bring FDM printers into development and design departments across Germany.
As new manufacturers emerged in other countries, the 3D printing service market continued to grow, and the benefits for industrial companies expanded. However, after 2022, the peak seemed to have passed. Many companies already owned 3D printers, and the economic situation in Germany changed.
The country, once one of the largest consumers of 3D printing, fell behind. The next step in development was hindered by a lack of investment and, in some cases, poor experiences with the technology.
Today, many companies use 3D printing successfully, while others still ignore the technology. The „German technology fear” remains an obstacle that has not yet been overcome.
by Johannes Lutz (3D Industrie)
Johannes Lutz is the managing director of 3D Industrie, and previously, he was the founder of Mark3D – a leading European distributor of industrial 3D printers. Since 2019, through 3D Industrie, he has been helping medium-sized companies entering AM business. Lutz is the author of the book „3D Printing Professional Knowledge” and publishes a weekly podcast on 3D printing.