Draft, not yet released. In stewardship review. Not indexed until the first approved release.

Key findings

Twelve findings carry the additive manufacturing baseline. They are grouped by coupling and never ranked. Each resolves to its source or, where Nexus analysis is involved, to its stated method.

6 min read1 figure0 tables16 notesNR-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE

Contents
  1. ·Edition home
  2. ·Executive summary
  3. 1Additive manufacturing is production infrastructure that is still being qualified
  4. 2Key findings
    1. 2.1 Headline finding
    2. 2.2 Finance
    3. 2.3 Infrastructure
    4. 2.4 Governance
    5. 2.5 Energy
    6. 2.6 Health
    7. 2.7 Systemic
  5. 3Systems and sectors at baseline
  6. 4Risks and capability
  7. 5Defence demand outruns part acceptance and supply
  8. 6Readings from the other desks
  9. 7The 2027 agenda
  10. 8Systems in depth
  11. AMethodology
  12. BData appendix
  13. CReferences and record
  14. ·Complete edition, for print

2.1Headline finding

ReportedEQL 3NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-GOV-007

The US Navy reports nearly 120 additive manufacturing parts placed into development in a year, 20 installed and more than 1,400 cumulative days of delay removed.

Figure 2.1US Navy additive parts in a year
ItemBar, scaled to the largest valueValue
Parts placed into development (nearly)120
Parts installed20

Source: NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support release of 30 June 20267. Official release, not an independent audit.

Implication

Additive parts now enter defence production, so part acceptance and supply are production questions. NAVSEA reports lead times cut by up to 70% for some components. The Navy links the effort to a goal of three submarines a year and to strain on casting and forging7. The workforce need is stated as 250,000 skilled workers over a decade8.

What would move it

Parts installed in the next report, the part acceptance route for materials and processes, and independent review would each move this finding.

2.2Finance

  1. ReportedEQL 2NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-FIN-001

    A trade summary of the Wohlers Report 2025 puts global additive manufacturing revenue at about USD 21.9 billion in 2024, up 9.1%, with machine sales down about 26% and printing services 47% of revenue.1

  2. ReportedEQL 2NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-FIN-002

    A trade summary of the Wohlers Report 2026 puts global revenue at about USD 24.2 billion in 2025, up 10.9%; services grew 15.5% and hold 48% of revenue, machine sales grew 3.6%, and Asia-Pacific grew 19.8% against 9% for Europe and the Americas.2

  3. ReportedEQL 4NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-FIN-003

    Stratasys reported 2025 revenue of USD 551.1 million against USD 572.5 million in 2024, and 3D Systems reported USD 386.9 million, down 12%.34

  4. ReportedEQL 4NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-FIN-004

    Desktop Metal and certain subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 on 28 July 2025, after Nano Dimension closed its purchase of Markforged on 25 April 2025.5

2.3Infrastructure

  1. ReportedEQL 2NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-INF-005

    In a 2018 company article, GE Aviation reported its 30,000th additive fuel nozzle tip, a one-piece part replacing about 20 welded and brazed pieces, about 25% lighter, made on more than 40 printers.6

  2. ReportedEQL 4NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-INF-011

    NIST AM-Bench 2025 completed 8 metal and 1 polymer benchmark sets and drew 85 challenge problem submissions, and a 2024 review of in-situ monitoring names standardisation and reliability as open gaps.1215

2.4Governance

  1. ReportedEQL 3NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-GOV-006

    The DoD additive manufacturing strategy, released in January 2021 by the Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering, set a common vision for using additive manufacturing in acquisition and sustainment.10

  2. ReportedEQL 3NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-GOV-007

    The US Navy reports nearly 120 additive parts placed into development in a year, 20 installed and more than 1,400 cumulative days of delay removed, and NAVSEA found lead times cut by up to 70% for some components.78

  3. ReportedEQL 2NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-GOV-010

    The US Bureau of Industry and Security added a control on metal additive manufacturing equipment in an interim final rule of September 2024, and SIPRI had set out the proliferation case for controls on machines, feedstock and digital files in 2017.2122

2.5Energy

  1. ReportedEQL 3NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-ENE-008

    A peer-reviewed comparison estimated specific energy consumption of 113.66 MJ/kg for one polymer laser sintering platform and 156.10 MJ/kg for one low-cost heat sintering platform, in line with earlier studies of 107 to 144 MJ/kg.14

2.6Health

  1. ReportedEQL 3NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-HLT-009

    A NIOSH health hazard evaluation of February 2025 found metal particles in a powder bed fusion room, powder spread through the facility by airflow and metals on workers skin and clothing, all below exposure limits.1920

2.7Systemic

  1. Expert inputEQL 2NRF-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-SYS-012

    The leading compound pathway for 2027 testing is defence and aerospace demand running into powder, part acceptance and workforce limits while machine makers consolidate. § scenario

Notes

Numbers are the edition’s reference numbers, so a note reads the same in every chapter. The full list, with every source and its licence, is in Annex C. Annex C, references

  1. 7Jones, M. (NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support), Shattering bottlenecks: NAVSUP WSS partners with DLA and NAVSEA on submarine advanced manufacturing (official release via the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, 30 June 2026; nearly 120 additive parts in development, 20 installed, more than 1,400 cumulative days of delay removed, lead times cut by up to 70% for some components; not independently audited). US Navy, Mechanicsburg. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  2. 8Maritime Industrial Base Program (ed.), Maritime Industrial Base Program highlights workforce mission at Virginia Tech (official release via the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, event 18 September 2025; need for 250,000 skilled workers over a decade; Columbia-class and Virginia-class output goals for 2028). US Navy, Washington. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  3. 1Voulpiotis, F. (3Dnatives), Wohlers Report 2025: 9.1% growth for the global additive manufacturing market (trade article, 14 April 2025; weak evidence: a trade summary of a commercial report; reports 2024 market about USD 21.9 billion, machine sales down about 26%, services 47% of revenue). 3Dnatives, Paris. Observation year 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  4. 2Voulpiotis, F. (3Dnatives), Wohlers Report 2026: growth continues, but caution defines the AM market (trade article, 17 February 2026; weak evidence: a trade summary of a commercial report; reports 2025 revenue USD 24.231 billion, up 10.9%, services up 15.5% with 48% share, machine sales up 3.6%, Asia-Pacific up 19.8%, Europe and the Americas up 9%). 3Dnatives, Paris. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  5. 3Stratasys Ltd. (ed.), Stratasys releases fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results (company release, 5 March 2026; revenue USD 551.1 million against USD 572.5 million in 2024; GAAP net loss USD 104.3 million). Stratasys, Rehovot and Eden Prairie. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  6. 43D Systems Corporation (ed.), 3D Systems reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results (company release, 9 March 2026; revenue USD 386.9 million, down 12%; Healthcare Solutions USD 179.6 million; Industrial Solutions USD 207.3 million). 3D Systems, Rock Hill. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  7. 5Nano Dimension Ltd. (ed.), Annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended 31 December 2025 (first 100,000 characters read; Desktop Metal Chapter 11 filing on 28 July 2025; Markforged acquisition closed 25 April 2025; revenue tables not read). Nano Dimension, Waltham. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  8. 6GE Aerospace (ed.), Manufacturing milestone: 30,000 additive fuel nozzles (company article, 4 October 2018; Auburn, Alabama; one piece replacing about 20; about 25% lighter; more than 40 printers; vendor announcement, weak evidence). GE Aerospace, Evendale. Observation year 2018. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  9. 12NIST (ed.), AM-Bench (program page; 2025 benchmarks 8 metal and 1 polymer sets; 85 challenge submissions; conference November 2025; AM Bench 2028 in planning). National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  10. 15Chen, L. et al., In-situ process monitoring and adaptive quality enhancement in laser additive manufacturing: a critical review, arXiv:2404.13673, submitted 21 April 2024 (abstract page read; accepted to the Journal of Manufacturing Systems). arXiv, Ithaca. Observation year 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  11. 10OSD ManTech Program Office (ed.), DoD additive manufacturing strategy (article page of the Defense Systems Information Analysis Center dated 1 March 2021; strategy released January 2021 by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; the page lists no figures; the strategy document itself was not opened). Defense Systems Information Analysis Center, Belcamp. Observation year 2021. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  12. 21Brockmann, K. and Bauer, S., 3D printing and missile technology controls, SIPRI Background Paper, November 2017 (summary page read; machines, feedstock and digital build files). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Stockholm. Observation year 2017. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  13. 223DPrint.com (ed.), US Department of Commerce issues new export controls on metal additive manufacturing (trade article, 18 September 2024; interim final rule; ECCN 2B910; comments due 5 November 2024; author analysis on scope; secondary source, weak evidence). 3DPrint.com, Chicago. Observation year 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  14. 14Baumers, M., Tuck, C. and Hague, R., Selective heat sintering versus laser sintering: comparison of deposition rate, process energy consumption and cost performance, Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium proceedings, University of Texas at Austin (full text read; the year is inferred from the cited 2015 sources). Observation year 2015. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  15. 19NIOSH (ed.), Additive manufacturing (manufacturing sector page, dated 16 July 2026; hazards named: inhalation of powders, skin contact, fire and explosion, mechanical and ergonomic injury). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington. Observation year 2026. Accessed 2026-11-03.back
  16. 20American Industrial Hygiene Association (ed.), NIOSH evaluates metals exposures at manufacturing facility (news item, 11 September 2025, on a NIOSH health hazard evaluation dated February 2025 with visits in March and May 2023; secondary summary, the evaluation itself was not opened). AIHA, Falls Church. Observation year 2025. Accessed 2026-11-03.back

Cite this chapter

Valadbaygi, S. (Ed.). (2026). Chapter 2: Key findings. In Exponential Technology Report 2026: Additive and Advanced Manufacturing (Baseline Edition 2026, Report No. NR-XTECH-MANUFACTURING-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE) [Draft under review]. The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI).

Every citation form of the whole report, BibTeX and RIS included, is on the edition home. Cite this report

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