Development of an additive manufacturing technology scenario for opportunity identification—The case of Mexico

• Published in: Futures : the journal of policy, planning and futures studies Vol. 90; pp. 1 - 15
• Main Authors: Arcos-Novillo, David A., Güemes-Castorena, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: 3-D printers; 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Advanced manufacturing technologies; Opportunity identification; Production methods; R&D; Research & development; Scenario development; Structural analysis; Studies; Technology roadmap; Three dimensional printing; Mexico; Scenario development; Additive manufacturing; Opportunity identification; 3D printing; Technology roadmap
• ISSN: 0016-3287; 1873-6378
• DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2017.05.001

•A structured methodology was developed for the for opportunity identification.•Additive manufacturing market, product, technology, and capacities evolution were analyzed.•A scenario was developed by analyzing global and regional trends.•Clusters development may push Additive Manufacturing Technology development in Mexico. This study presents a Technological Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing Technology – also known as 3D printing –, which has been elaborated by the combination of three methodologies: technological surveillance, technological road mapping, and structural analysis. The resulting methodology allowed to establish landmarks in the future evolution of the technology selected at market, product, technology and capacities levels in a particular region, a specific scenario for Mexico. Additive Manufacturing Technology is an advanced manufacturing process different from the traditional subtracting manufacturing methods. This technology has generated great expectation in the last years, and a great future impact in the technology is anticipated; many authors think that the Additive Manufacturing Technology is the next “great thing”, similar to the development of the semiconductor, the computer or the Internet. The worldwide Additive Manufacturing Technology industry trends were compared with data corresponding to the state of the art in Mexico, in order to unfold a roadmap for the developed scenario which allowed to determine possible stages focused on taking advantage of the technology and identifying opportunities for Additive Manufacturing Technology in the country, in terms of its use and research and development.