Europe possesses extensive potential to become a leader in the development and adoption of Additive Manufacturing technologies. There are currently word-class European machine builders, materials providers, service bureaus, etc. operating a global level along with reputable universities and technology centers. However, European AM Community act in a disaggregated manner, resulting in inefficiencies preventing the necessary interactions across the wide range of applications, manufacturing sectors and borders. Hence, Europe would benefit from a strategic approach bringing a common direction and goals.
FoFAM project goes beyond the state of the art taken the first steps towards developing a strategy in AM, from which unexploited project results and knowledge can benefit. It is based on a comprehensive review if recent developments in AM across several value chains on relevant industrials sectors and design effective interaction among key players. Up to date, these value chains have not been specifically addresses, which has hindered a complete alignment of developments and markets in the field.
The activities of this project have short term and longer term impacts. The short-term impact is related to the completion of the sectorial value chains will allow projects, regions, stakeholders to place their developments, results, needs and capabilities with a sector/application target as well as to know what type of partners they need to complement their expertise, facilitating possible partnership and alliances. Project outcomes help mapping the additive manufacturing ecosystem around specific key sectors for Europe, and the related regional policies, lowering the entry barriers for newcomers, and raising awareness of existing capabilities and knowledge to stimulate market uptake.
On a longer term, impact is through the development of a roadmap by identifying together strategic priorities and identified obstacles as a common vision and strategy that maximise the knowledge-based and business development potential of Europe. The roadmap will contain specific actions to overcome or minimize the existing barriers, including those going beyond technology that can also hinder AM commercialisation (i.e standardisation, education, IPRs…).
Both actions help preventing fragmentation and duplication of efforts, providing a path to market uptake by connecting and expanding existing knowledge and infrastructure, improving the conditions for exploitation, cross-regional demonstration and deployment.
