May 17, 2016 | By Tess
Over the past year we have seen Singapore start to rise within the 3D printing industry, as its government has implemented a number of innovative programs that are aimed at integrating and further developing the emerging technology. In February, for instance, the city-state launched a training program to teach professionals, managers, and executives from various industries about advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing to ease the integration of the technology into their manufacturing processes. Now, another big step for 3D printing innovations has been taken in Singapore as a S$42 million (about $30.7 million) 3D Printing Centre has just launched at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
The 3D Printing Centre, which is Singapore’s first, is aimed at furthering the research and development of additive manufacturing and precision engineering technologies as well as establishing industry standards for the 3D printing. The latter will include establishing both machine and material safety, as well as testing final parts.
The 3D Printing Centre, which is being primarily funded by Singapore’s National Research Foundation, is set to receive $42 million in funding over the next ten years. On top of that, the newly launched centre has also already received an additional S$41 million (about $30 million) from other government agencies and industry partners, who are hoping to adopt developments made by the centre’s researchers.
At the 3D Printing Centre’s launch, which took place May 17th, Mr. S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry explained the significance of the centre saying, “3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has emerged from the hobbyist arena, and is fast becoming a viable alternative to manufacturing processes in a wide range of industries.”
The Centre will be led by Professor Chua Chee Kai, an expert in 3D printing technologies, and will employ 17 full time researchers as well as 85 PhD students. At the launch earlier today, it was also announced that the Nanyang Technological University would partner with a number of companies including ST Engineering, Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre, Sembcorp Design and Construction, and Emerson Process Management.
In the interest of their partners, researchers at NTU’s 3D Printing Centre are currently working on developing the 3D printing of concrete structures, which as we’ve seen is one of the most in demand areas of 3D printing development. The process of additively manufacturing concrete structures could revolutionize the construction industry, offering a more cost and materially effective process for building complex structures.
With the launch of the well funded 3D Printing Centre in Singapore earlier today, there is little doubt that the city-state will continue to rise within the continuously growing 3D printing industry. Notably, additive manufacturing was named as one of the cutting-edge manufacturing technologies in Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 roadmap plan, and on a global scale is expected to rise to become an industry of more than $21 billion.
Posted in 3D Printing Service
Maybe you also like:
- 3D Hubs introduces new “Who’s 3D Printing?" category along with July 3D printing trend report
- Shapeways raises $30M with an eye on Asian expansion, investing in R&D for 3D printing materials
- ‘Should You Buy a 3D Printer or Use a 3D Printing Service?' - Sculpteo releases 2015 Edition
- Materialise & Fuwai Hospital collaborate on China's first Cardiovascular 3D Printing Center
- Argillasys combines 3D printing with traditional porcelain-based material to make beautiful ceramics products
- e-NABLE outlines plan to give out 6,000 3D printed prosthetic hands by 2017
- Australian office supplies giant Officeworks launches 3D Experience Centre
- Solidscape & Kangshuo announce largest 3D printing service bureau in China
- TwinPilots creates custom scale pilots for model airplanes using 3D printing
- Additively launches the Additively Application to connect with hundreds of 3D printing suppliers
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
