May 3, 2017 | By Benedict
The government of Catalonia in Spain has said it will invest 28 million euros in the creation of a Global 3D Printing Hub. The new additive manufacturing facility will encourage the adoption of industry 4.0 technology and is supported by HP, Renishaw, Ricoh, and other companies.
Catalonia's new Global 3D Printing Hub will be built at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona
In an effort to merge the respective talents and resources of the public and private sectors, the governing body (“Generalitat”) of Catalonia has decided to launch a multi-million-euro Global 3D Printing Hub that, in the words of Catalan business minister Jordi Baiget, will “put Catalan industry at the forefront of the European and global 3D printing industry.”
The hub will occupy a space of more than 10,000 square feet at the Campus Diagonal-Besós, part of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona.
The government will this year invest five million euros in the 3D printing hub, which will help to get the project going, before contributing a further 23 million euros by the year 2020, when the hub is due to open.
The Global 3D Printing Hub, which will allow Catalan companies to make use of up-to-date 3D printing equipment and training, is being built to encourage innovation while bringing regional industry into the digital age.
The facility will contain a dedicated accelerator for young 3D printing companies, as well as an exhibition area and material certification center.
Companies such as HP, Renishaw, and Ricoh have all pledged their support to Catalonia’s new 3D printing Hub, while academic and research institutions including Eurecat-Leitat, Fira de Barcelona, and Instituto de Bioingeniería will all be involved in its development.
L-R: minister Jordi Baiget, HP's Ramon Pastor, Renishaw CEO Víctor Escobar, Generalitat president Carles Puigdemont
“We are on the brink of a new era,” said Carles Puigdemont, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia. “We can and want to lead the industrial change with this strategic project that will make us more attractive and help us to attract investments.”
HP, the printing company that released its Jet Fusion 3D printer last year, already has a location in Barcelona, and will play a part in the hub’s development over the next three years.
“We live in times of change, which will affect the entire industry,” commented Ramon Pastor, vice president and general manager of HP 3D Printing. “This change, which is the digitalization of production, will bring about a paradigm shift in both the business and social worlds.”
Pastor added that the 3D Printing Hub could have knock-on benefits for areas such as healthcare and consumer goods, with on-demand production using 3D printers being more sustainable than other methods.
Last June, Barcelona played host to “In(3D)ustry: From Needs to Solutions,” its first ever 3D printing congress. HP co-organized the event.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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