UK Government plans to become a 3D printing leader post-Brexit

As a Brit, I am not currently very confident in my country’s economic state. We have voted to leave the area that supplies the majority of our trade, butchered the talks leading to our exit from the EU, and have no real plan moving forward. However, there is one positive piece of news coming out of the UK Government at least: it has announced plans to become a world leader in the additive manufacturing sector by 2025.

The plan

The plan, by AM UK, is the “Additive Manufacturing UK National Strategy 2018-25,” and speaks of how this will occur. Already one of the largest countries in Europe for additive manufacturing (second to Germany), the UK is not behind the times. Europe has a large amount of 3D manufacturers too like Ultimaker, as well as online service Shapeways.

The report suggests that government, industry and academic bodies should come together to “provide a single ‘go-to’ place to access independent information and latest research.” This report also recommends “upskilling” workforces, in addition to increasing the number of places with access to additive manufacturing in the UK.