The futures of 3D printing

A team of researchers at ITAS is part of the Cluster of Excellence 3D Matter Made to Order. With a view towards visions of the future, the team assesses the societal implications of 3D printing technologies and engages in dialogue with society.
Laser 3D-printed materials
Laser 3D-printed materials fire visions of new applications and business areas. (Source: Christian Kern / KIT)
Vision Assessment in the cluster of excellence 3D Matter Made to Order
The Vision Assessment combines the analysis of technological visions with a discussion of its societal impacts.

The Cluster of Excellence 3D Matter Made to Order, a cooperation of Heidelberg University and KIT, aims to develop the next generation of 3D printing technologies. It shall become possible to create materials and objects with a push of a button, all the way to the molecular scale. That such visionary technologies engender societal hopes and concerns is the starting point of the study.

Scenarios of 3D printing

With the approach of vision assessment, which was developed at ITAS, the study analyzes possible futures of 3D printing and assesses their societal implications. Together with other researchers of the cluster, stakeholders and the public the team will develop and assess scenarios of 3D printing futures that combine technological and societal aspects.

The aim is to start an early discourse on the societal consequences of a new generation of digital technologies and to bring science into dialogue with society. (05.08.2019)

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