Christian Sandström: Is 3D Printing a Disruptive Technology?

Is 3D Printing a Disruptive Technology? – EIPM Journal of Supply Excellence (page 18)

”It has been suggested that 3D Printing will spark a new industrial revolution and that the technology will have disruptive effects in the coming years (McKinsey, 2013), but in those early stages, little evidence has been provided.”
Christian Sandström studies disruptive innovation across sectors and industries. His paper looks at 3D printing within the hearing aid industry. He shows that even though 3D is often presented as a disruptive technology, its adoption in the hearing aid industry did not lead to n-ew market entries or changes in the group of market leaders. In fact, the adoption of 3D printing can be an opportunity to gain performance and cost efficiencies.