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ContactMarie-Christin Menke
Machinery & Equipment Industry
Investor Consulting
marie-christin.menke@gtai.eu

FACT SHEETThe 3D Printing
Industry in Germany
ISSUE 2023/2024

Peggy Görlitz
Machinery & Equipment Industry
Investor Consulting
peggy.goerlitz@gtai.eu

Market and industry reports
Market entry analyses
Business and tax law information
Funding and financing information

Germany is Europe’s leading additive manufacturingmarket. The growing popularity of 3D printing among
many flagship European industrial companies makes thecontinent’s largest economy an attractive location for international specialist providers.
Germany – Europe’s Leading 3D Printing Nation
Germany is Europe’s number one 3D printing market. Almosthalf (140 manufacturers) of the world‘s industrial additive
system manufacturers are based in Europe. With 37 manufacturers who produce and sell industrial AM systems, Germany
ranks first within Europe and – together with China – second
worldwide after the US.

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In 2021, a bitkom survey showed, some 44 percent of industrial companies in Germany with more than 100 employees
were already using 3D printing technologies and 20 percent
planned to use them in the near future. The industrial companies already using 3D printing primarily produce samples
or molds (57 percent), spare parts (48 percent) or visual models (33 percent).
Growing Global Market
The global AM market is growing. Average annual growth during the period 2019 to 2022 was 16.6 percent according to themost recent Wohlers report. Additive manufacturing products
and services grew by 18.3 percent to USD 18 billion in 2022 as
the market recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.
Revenues from AM products worldwide increased to over
USD 7.3 billion in 2022 – a year-on-year increase of 17 percent.
Turnover from services grew by 19.1 percent to more than USD
10.7 billion in 2022.

3D Printing in Numbers
Number 1

manufacturer of industrial AM systems in Europe(number 2 worldwide)

4 out of 10

German industrial companies with more than 100
employees use 3D printing

Europe’s most favored
FDI destination country for AM projects

Number 1

in Europe for patent applications submission

3D Printing Market Revenue in Germany
in EUR billion

1.4

2019

1.6

2020

1.8

2021

2.120222.42023→ Visit our website: www.gtai.com/3d-printing
Note: Data and forecasts are based on information available as of July 2020
(EITO in collaboration with IDC) Source: Bitkom Research 2021

AM Market Opportunities in Germany
With its renowned engineering heritage, Germany boasts
numerous manufacturing facilities in those industries
that can help serve international investors with their
expansion into Europe. Find out why Germany satisfies
the essential conditions for market success in one of theworld’s most dynamic industry sectors.
AM Plant Applications
AM plant technology sales by industry reflect the broad application potential. The segments automotive (11 percent), aerospace (16 percent), and medical technology and dental (23percent) are forming a focal point with around half of the total market volume. Germany boasts numerous manufacturing
facilities in these industries.
AM for Climate Neutrality
Germany’s climate goals to achieve climate neutrality by 2045
is creating attractive business opportunities and favorable conditions for AM companies. Additive manufacturing technologies have the potential to revolutionize production and create
sustainable advantages by producing lightweight components,reducing waste, optimizing supply chains, and reducing time tomarket. Some AM processes allow the use of 100 percent reusable green materials. Cross-industry partnerships and digital
design technologies can potentially support sustainable development goals, with efficient value chain management also helping reduce industry’s carbon footprint.
AM Metal Machine Sector
Revenue from AM metal machines has grown strongly with anincrease of over 27 percent to more than USD 1.4 billion worldwide in 2022. Europe is the leader in this area, with 49 manufac-turers of AM metal systems in 2022 – compared to 23 in the US
and 16 in China. The installed base for metal AM systems is currently dominated by German manufacturers including EOS, SLMSolutions and Trumpf. Taking into account the Concept Laser facilities, which was acquired by US group General Electric in 2017,
system technology produced in Germany makes up more thanhalf of the global installed base.

The Mobility/Medical Goes Additive (MGA) network based inBerlin is the largest AM network with more than 140 international member companies and scientific institutions. To enhancethe development of an AM ecosystem in Berlin, the Berlin Senate has established the AMBER (Additive Manufacturing BerlinBrandenburg) regional cluster and the association “Verband 3D
Druck e.V.” is also located in Berlin.

AM Metal Machine Research Leader
Germany is also a leader in the field of research and development of metal AM systems. The Fraunhofer ILT is generally regarded as the founder of laser-based additive manufacturing.
RWTHA Aachen, for instance, also conducts research on processing low-cost steel using AM and hot isostatic pressing in theframework of its HIGHRES project.

The Agent3D network in Dresden has more than 100 members,including leading research institutes, industry as well as small
and medium sized companies.

Innovative R&D Environment
System AM manufacturers interviewed by Wohlers Associates
indicated that they spend an average of 30.6 percent of theirannual turnover on R&D. The high percentage spent on R&D
highlights the importance of R&D activities and that many companies in this sector are relatively young manufacturers in an
early development phase. Many of today‘s leading AM companies manufacturing have their origins in spin-offs from university institutions or are based on developments and patents thatwere developed at universities or research institutions.

Network/Association

1 Additive Manufacturing Nordwest e.V.
2 German 3D Printing Association

Schleswig-Holstein

AMBER (Additive Manufacturing Berlin-Brandenburg)
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Hamburg

11 Bremen323

Industrial Additive
Manufacturing
Hub Berlin

Niedersachen

Sachsen-Anhalt

2

3

3

Brandenburg

Hessen3D-Druck Nord

4 Bavarian AM Clusters (BAMC)
5 AGENT-3D e.V.
6 Bayern Innovativ GmbH - Additive Manufacturing Coordination Office
Bayern Innovativ GmbH – New Materials ClusterResearch InstituteDresdenThüringen

5 563

1 Leibniz Institute for Materials-oriented Technologies - IWT
2 Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technnology (IPK)Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM)
Werner-von-Siemens Centre for Industry and Science (WvSC)

3 Institut of Laser and System Technologies (iLAS)

Rheinland-Pfalz

Helmholtz Center Hereon

6 Nürnberg

SaarlandNew AM Materials Research Partnership
The Federal Institute for Materials and Research and Testing(BAM) and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials
Research are attractive research partners for potential investors for the development and improvement of new materials for additive manufacturing.

2Nordrhein-Westfalen

7 Aachen

Medical - Mobility goes Additive e.V. (MGA)

3 Network for 3D-Printing in the Maritime Industry (MN3D)

3Sachsen

Additive Manufacturing Center Dresden
The Technical University Dresden is home to the Additive
Manufacturing Center Dresden (AMCD), which is operated
by the university and Fraunhofer IWS as a joint competence
center. Here researchers are developing multiprocess material and manufacturing solutions for innovative products.

Contact our industry experts for more information:
marie-christin.menke@gtai.eu
peggy.goerlitz@gtai.euSelected 3D Printing Networks and R&D Clusters in Germany

Networks and Clusters
There are several AM networks in Germany that provide great
opportunity for exchange between member companies, help inidentifying research partners as well as representing common
interests to policymakers.

R&D Partnering Opportunities in Germany, Selected Institutions

Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing
The Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing (ACAM), a
joint venture between the RWTH Aachen University and
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, has become one of the leading
research centers for additive manufacturing in Europe since
its foundation in 2016.

Germany Trade & Invest informs about Germany’s research
excellence in the additive manufacturing industry and provides
market information and service support to com­panies seeking
to establish a business in Germany.

Representatives of AUDI AG, EOS, GE Additive, Linde, MTU AeroEngines, Oerlikon and Siemens as well as TUM have agreed tofound the „Bavarian AM Cluster“ (BAMC) as a non-profit association in 2023. The “Additive Manufacturing Coordination

BerlinFraunhofer Competence Field Additive Manufacturing
The Fraunhofer Competence Field Additive Manufacturing
integrates 19 Fraunhofer institutes across Germany which,subject to their main focus, deal with areas concerning additive manufacturing and represent the entire process chain.

Office“ at Bayern Innovativ acts as a hub to network all competence providers and newcomers in additive manufacturing andto further develop the Bavarian AM ecosystem. In the north ofGermany investors find networks like Additive Manufacturing
Nordwest e.V. or 3D-Druck Nord.

BayernBaden-Württemberg

Augsburg

4Fraunhofer-Institute for Additive Production Technologies (IAPT)

4 Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology (IGCV)5 Additive Manufacturing Center Dresden (AMCD)
6 Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (IWS)
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced

4 München

Materials (IFAM)
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW)

7 Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT)
Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing (ACAM)
Source: Germany Trade & Invest Research 2023