The 3D printing ecosystem is growing rapidly and is built on a strong industrial base, according to Mathias Plica, Co-Founder of All3DP. 2015 will bring many new 3D printing products.

In the past two years, the 3D printing market has experienced a widespread boom in public awareness. There has been talk about hype, which is fairly common with new technologies before disillusionment sets in and, on a more realistic path, the market gradually matures.

Disillusionment with 3D printing? The answer is definitely no. The hype surrounding 3D printing had mainly to do with news that was being circulated about individual cases of fascinating, exciting or also intimidating 3D printing applications: houses both on earth and on the moon made by 3D printers, creating food or body organs, surprising friends and family with mini statues of oneself, printing weapons and creating jewelry and fashion. This new technology and concept excites and stimulates the imagination, for the better or the worse. For the most part, however, 3D printing is being received with enthusiasm.

On the other end of all of this, a very real universe of young companies is emerging and working together with the well-established 3D printing industry to create an ecosystem for 3D printing products and services. Within the last two years, dozens of 3D figurine studios have been started worldwide, and the first 3D print shops were opened in numerous countries. Many apps and web services have been developed that use 3D printing to design and create products for all of us. On Kickstarter, a crowdfunding network, the number of 3D printing projects that require funding is in the hundreds. The vast majority of these young companies is still leading an isolated existence and looking for ways to attract customers. Bringing these companies together with the users is one of our major goals at All3DP.

And why is it that the 3D printing market situation after the hype is different from that of other technology markets? Because it is a simple matter to additionally produce consumer products in the fully functioning infrastructure of the well-established 3D printing industry. The 3D printing industry has been in existence for 25 years now.

Everything that is needed is readily available. This is why in the case of 3D printing “after the hype is before the boom.”