For manufacturers and consumers alike, COVID-19 has been both a humbling reminder of infrastructure fragility and an accelerant for change. The global supply chain was upended in ways never seen before. We learned quickly what it meant to lack access to everyday items. And hospitals grappled with a lack of critical life-or-death resources.

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As a result of these challenges, this crisis brought 3D printing into countless people’s lives for the very first time. For many, their introduction to 3D printing technology has been personal protective equipment (PPE) or testing equipment—like a face shield, mask, or nasal swab—helping them stay safe. That’s a profound human experience. Well beyond this pandemic, the recent lessons we have learned from 3D printing will propagate throughout future-minded industries and into consumers’ lives in four critical ways. Supply chains will transform; creativity and design will accelerate; entire ecosystems will realign; and values will progress. 1. […]

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