The strategy consultancy AMPOWER has published its annual market report for industrial metal and polymer additive manufacturing. The report sheds light on global developments in 2024 and provides a forecast for the coming years. Despite a challenging economic environment, the market recorded moderate growth of around two percent. This indicates a temporary slowdown, which was influenced by geopolitical uncertainties, economic fluctuations and rising energy prices, among other things.
Manufacturers of AM systems for metal and polymer printing in particular experienced a decline in sales. After years of double-digit growth rates, market development slowed down as investments were postponed and competitive pressure increased. Companies from China in particular expanded their global presence, both in mechanical engineering and in materials and component manufacturing.
Despite this market situation, material consumption continued to rise. This growth indicates that existing systems are being used more intensively and that additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly established in industrial applications. There are signs of a recovery in the final months of 2024, as postponed projects were reactivated. This could indicate that the weak phase was only short-lived.
Dr. Maximilian Munsch, co-author and partner at AMPOWER: “The Defense sector in the U.S. and China have driven AM advancements in recent years. As the European defense market awakens in the light of recent political shifts, new opportunities will arise for the European AM market.”
The long-term outlook for the AM market remains positive. Additive manufacturing is increasingly developing from a niche solution into an established manufacturing method in industrially relevant areas. A further market recovery is expected, particularly as a result of technological developments and a more stable economic situation.
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