Materialise CEO Forecasts 2025 3D Printing Trends

Materialise is sharing CEO Brigitte de Vet's 2025 vision for the 3D printing industry. de Vet analyzes the industry's current challenges while providing a roadmap to realize its full potential and increase industrial adoption.

Supporting Role of 3D Printing

Looking forward to 2025, it's noticeable that investments have slowed, fewer startups are emerging, and many publicly traded companies struggle to make a profit, Materialise shares. Industry insiders suggest that this period reflects the growing pains of a transformative technology.

In this context, de Vet emphasizes the need for a perspective shift: "While 3D printing has incredible potential, it won't transform industries on its own. Like a movie with lead and supporting actors, traditional manufacturing will continue to take the lead, while 3D printing plays a vital supporting role," de Vet says.

To fully realize the potential of 3D printing and drive its industrial adoption, two key actions are essential: prioritizing practical applications through a customer-centric approach and addressing barriers through industry-wide collaboration, according to Materialiise.

Brigitte de Vet, Materialise

From Innovation to Industrial Applications

de Vet envisions a shift in focus from technological innovation to practical applications and stresses the need for a more customer-centric approach: “Power to the people means recognizing that while we understand 3D printing, our customers are the experts in their industries—whether that’s aerospace, eyewear, medical or consumer products. By empowering them, we can help them meet their specific needs and challenges.”

Removing Barriers Through Collaboration

Scaling 3D printing for industrial use requires overcoming the remaining barriers, including complexity, quality assurance, and cost control, according to Materialise, by incorporating collaboration within the 3D printing community. "Overcoming these hurdles requires more than individual efforts; it calls for industry-wide collaboration to make 3D printing more accessible to a broader range of manufacturers," the Materialise CEO says.

As an example, de Vet cites the newly launched "Leading Minds" consortium, which aims to address the most pressing challenges that manufacturers face in adopting and scaling 3D printing technology for industrial use. The founding members of the consortium—Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM, Renishaw, Stratasys, and TRUMPF—share a common belief in the power of 3D printing, and through collaboration, they aim to ensure that 3D printing is more accessible and scalable across diverse industries.

"While the once boundless possibilities of 3D printing now face challenges, there is a clear path forward," says de Vet. "By empowering users and fostering collaboration across the industry, we can shift from focusing solely on innovation to delivering tangible business value, accelerating the transition to a new industrial reality."

Click here to watch a video of her vision.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.