Innovation in additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, surged between 2013 and 2020, with international patent families (IPF) in 3D printing technologies growing at an average annual rate of 26.3% or nearly eight times faster than for all technology fields combined in the same period, according to the study, Innovation Trends in Additive Manufacturing, published by the European Patent Office (Munich, Germany; www.epo.org).

The EPO describes an IPF as representing a significant invention for which patent applications have been filed for two or more countries worldwide. The EPO’s research, based on patent data, offers early insights into 3D printing’s potential future uses. As patents are filed months or even years before any products appear on the market, patent information can signal the direction the technology is taking, according to the EPO.

Industry revenue for additive manufacturing tripled from USD 5 bn in 2016 to USD 18 bn in 2022, according to estimates from Wohlers Associates (Fort Collins, Colorado; www.wohlersassociates.com), a technical and strategic consulting firm focused on new developments and trends in additive manufacturing.

The analysis in the EPO report revealed that the top 20 applicants in AM innovation consist of six US players, seven European companies, six Japanese, and one Korean company. Europe and the US lead the global race for 3D printing innovation, the report said. The US holds the top spot, filing 39.8% of all IPFs related to AM between 2001 and 2020. Europe closely follows with a 32.9% share of all IPFs filed relating to AM. Within Europe, Germany has emerged as the clear leader, accounting for 41% of Europe’s share of IPFs for AM, with France in second place with 12%.

Three US companies have the highest number of IPFs between 2001 and 2020 – General Electric (Boston, www.ge.com) with 1,793 IPFs, Raytheon Technologies (Arlington, Virginia; www.rtx.com) with 1,441 IPFs, and HP (Palo Alto, California; www.hp.com) with 1,362 IPFs. German multinational company Siemens (Munich; www.siemens.com) secured the fourth position with 996 IPFs.

University and public research organisations (PRO) also contributed significantly to 3D printing innovation, where approximately 12% of AM IPFs were filed from this segment, the report said. The figure is nearly double the segment’s typical share of 7%, said the EPO. Among the top 10 universities, five are in the US, but the clear leader is Germany’s Fraunhofer with 221 IPFs for additive manufacturing, the EPO said.

Roughly one-fifth (or a total of 10,000) of all IPFs published between 2001 and 2022 are in the health and medical sector, where additive manufacturing is particularly suited to patient-specific implants and anatomical models, said EPO. The transportation sector is the third largest sector for innovation in AM behind the health and medical sector with over 7,000 IPFs filed.

The EPO report says a variety of materials are being developed for 3D printing including plastics, metals, ceramics and organic cells. The growth of AM applications is being observed in several sectors, including tooling, energy, fashion, electronics, construction, and the food sector, the report add.