3D Printing Sector Anticipated to Reach a Value of $57.1 Billion by 2028, Achieving This Milestone Decades Ahead of Schedule

In a significant development for the 3d printer industry, Marks & Clerk has released an updated whitepaper titled "3DP/IP 2025: From Design to Download - IP Protection in the age of 3d printers." This comprehensive guide offers practical advice on navigating cross-border IP law, protecting innovations, and building resilient businesses in a newly favourable regulatory environment.

The 3d printer industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with a 14.2% increase over earlier long-term projections. This surge in growth is reflected in the unexpected levels of adoption in sectors such as agriculture and applications ranging from aerospace to furniture made from ocean plastic.

Susan Bradley, a partner at Marks & Clerk, comments that 3d printer is now a commercially viable, IP-secured, and regulation-supported industry. She emphasises the importance of companies not treating legal protections as an afterthought, especially in high-growth sectors like 3d printer.

One of the key regulatory changes that have boosted the industry is the European Patent Office's decision, effective since July 2022, to allow patent protection for additive manufacturing software. The EU has also revamped its registered design system to protect non-physical designs such as 3d printer files, graphical user interfaces, and animations.

However, as of May 1, 2025, there is no information available about any company introducing changes to the registered design systematics of the EU.

The project to develop the whitepaper is led by a consortium, with Honeywell in the lead. The UK defense sector is urged to adopt 3d printer to achieve potential savings of £110m. Notable companies such as GKN Aerospace are expanding their facilities to produce parts using additive manufacturing, while NCC has adopted Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud for their innovation centers.

The global market value for 3d printer is forecast to reach $57.1bn by 2028, a 22-year leap ahead of the 2050 projection from Marks & Clerk's 2020 whitepaper. This growth is further catalysed by initiatives such as the UK government's funding for a project that aims to utilize AI and additive manufacturing in the production of critical aerospace technologies.

Lockheed Martin is also investing in the future of 3d printer, upgrading the Republic of Korea Air Force's F-16 Block 52 flight simulators to mirror the advanced capabilities of its modernized F-16 Viper (F-16V) aircraft.

For those interested in learning more about the evolving landscape of 3d printer and IP protection, the whitepaper is available now at www.marks-clerk.com.

3D Printing Sector Anticipated to Reach a Value of $57.1 Billion by 2028, Achieving This Milestone Decades Ahead of Schedule