Bit by bit: Capturing the value from the digital fabrication revolution

Digital fabrication (which includes processes termed 'additive manufacturing' or '3D printing') is underpinning a manufacturing revolution. Covering a broad range of technologies that offer the prospects of on-demand, mass personalisation, with more localised, flexible and sustainable production. Digital fabrication is disrupting the organisation of manufacturing and the ways in which companies capture value.
This transformation is only just beginning to become apparent. At present, digital fabrication technologies are widely used for prototyping and have already been adopted in certain niche markets for small production runs of high value - high complexity products. For example, digital fabrication technologies are being used in the aerospace sector and Formula 1 in order to design and produce lighter and complex structural components. These production technologies are also being used in traditional craft sectors such as jewellery, and where product personalisation to the human body is important such as dental implants and hearing aids. As digital fabrication technologies improve, the range of industrial and consumer applications is expected to explode. Digital fabrication has attracted significant attention in the last year to the extent that there is danger of it becoming overhyped. Yet despite significant uncertainty about where in the manufacturing networks value will be captured, an increasing number of entrepreneurial ventures are being attracted to this area. Using a diverse range of business models, these ventures are searching for applications where digital fabrication technologies can offer value. A range of business models is apparent, from the application of these technologies to substitute traditional manufacturing processes in factories, to the creation of 'on-demand' products by consumers at home. This diversity in business models reflects the broad range of commercial opportunities enabled by these digital fabrication technologies, and the high level of market and technological uncertainty typifying this emerging sector. As digital fabrication is gaining wider adoption, a number of economic challenges are also becoming apparent. These include intellectual property issues regarding the respect for and policing of design rights, industry acceptance for standard 3D model file types, and approaches for resolving product liability for mass personalised products. It is essential to identify and remedy challenges such as these before they become barriers to economic growth.

The UK is relatively well placed in terms of its technical expertise in digital fabrication. Recent public and private investments have sought to improve the maturity of these technologies and position the UK as a technical leader in this domain. However, the failure to give appropriate consideration to translating technical leadership into commercial leadership is a problem that has historically stymied UK economic growth. If the UK is to keep its position of excellence in high value manufacturing and compete internationally then it is essential that the UK learns from previous disruptive innovations and establishes a national digital fabrication community that combines technical, commercial and policy perspectives. Doing so will allow the UK to be well positioned for the inevitable consolidation that will occur as dominant technologies and business models emerge. This project aims to ensure that the UK does so by addressing three key questions relating to the emergence of digital fabrication:

1. How will digital fabrication affect the manufacturing landscape?
2. What impacts will this revolution have on manufacturing in the UK?
3. How can UK firms become global leaders in this new age of digital manufacturing?

The impact of this project will be in five areas:
1. Creating a national digital fabrication community
This community will be a key asset for research and commercialisation activities in this field. As an emerging area of industrial activity, the digital fabrication landscape is highly fragmented. To connect the diverse stakeholders, a range of events will be run throughout the project. These events will culminate with a National Conference on Digital Fabrication at the end of each year of the project. Our broad community of Advisory Group members will use their connections with policymakers, investors, managers, 'makers', scientists and technologists to help target appropriate attendees. The conference will include networking opportunities, technology demonstrations, presentations from industry participants, and dissemination of our research findings.
2. Influencing national policy
In order to enact appropriate policies to enable the UK to become a global leader in digital fabrication, policymakers have told us of the need to be better informed on digital fabrication technologies and how companies are capturing value. Policymakers will be involved from the start of the project, and to ensure sustained interactions, Policy Fellowships will be organised through our partnership with the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP). Our partnerships with the Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation, CSaP, the IET & NESTA will be of particular value in ensuring strong policymaker engagement.
3. Improving investor confidence
This project will interact with the investment community with the aim of (i) improving the attractiveness of the digital fabrication industry as an investment opportunity (ii) helping avoid oscillations in investment levels that can result from 'over-hyping' of disruptive technologies and (iii) exploring the ways in which the use of digital fabrication technologies for demonstrators may support the raising of investor confidence. Through our Advisory Group members, we will be seeking to ensure that the role of the 'maker' community in driving forward innovative concepts is explored and communicated. Two reports will be produced targeting investors. The first will describe the current state of the art in digital fabrication; the second report will provide an improved understanding of the business models being tested in the digital fabrication market and the potential for future disruptions.
4. Supporting commercialisation of digital fabrication technologies
Through our support for the development of a national roadmap for digital fabrication, we will be improving understanding of the opportunities and barriers for the successful commercialisation of these technologies.
The involvement of our RAEng Visiting Professors of Innovation supports this strand of activity. Each of the Visiting Professors (Sam Beale - ex-head of technology strategy at Rolls-Royce; Rick Mitchell - ex-CTO of Domino Printing Sciences, and Pieter Knook - ex-President of Microsoft Asia) has both deep personal experience of the commercialisation of advanced technology, but also specific interests in different aspects of digital fabrication (i.e. aerospace applications, the use of inkjet technologies, and the software issues). Their involvement will help ensure that the messages relating to the commercialisation of digital fabrication are appropriately packaged and targeted.
5. Furthering academic investigation
Research findings generated during the project will be disseminated at international conferences and through leading academic journals. We have also planned a special issue of the journal Technological Forecasting & Social Change. In addition, we are discussing with the IET how the outputs of this cross-disciplinary research could be disseminated through their various channels. These will provide valuable routes to publish developments in digital fabrication in an accessible manner to academics and practitioners alike