A newly published report from Canada’s Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) evaluates the state of Canada’s additive manufacturing ecosystem and offers recommendations for increasing the adoption of AM technologies countrywide.
The report explores the following in detail:
• AM technologies, their advantages, limitations, and applications in key sectors.
• Strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s AM ecosystem, the diversity of AM firms, industry bodies, and educational institutions.
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ecosystem.
• Policies to promote post-pandemic growth of Canadian AM, including investments in education and other forms of assistance.
The 94-page report, “Just Press ‘Print’: Canada’s Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem,” includes interviews with industry experts, input from an advisory committee, and web scraping for in-demand jobs and skills across Canada’s AM ecosystem. Secondary research gives an overview of academic and industry publications.
Those interviewed for the study expressed optimism about the future of AM in Canada, but they also identified numerous obstacles to growth, including competition from dominant AM players (primarily China and the U.S.), slow AM adoption rates by Canadian businesses, and technical and regulatory challenges that need to be addressed.
“Additive manufacturing is ushering in a new era in manufacturing and industrial applications, enhancing productivity and [shortening] lead times while empowering sustainable production” said ICTC President and CEO Namir Anani. “With such endless possibilities, the adoption of 3D printing is poised for strong growth in Canada.”
The ICTC is a not-for-profit, national organization devoted to raising Canada’s digital profile in the global economy.