Stratasys' Acquisition of Covestro Additive Manufacturing Shakes Up 3D Printing Materials Market

The 3D printing materials market, forecast by IDTechEx to hit US$29.5 billion by 2033, was once dominated by printer manufacturers. These printer manufacturers, utilizing proprietary materials on their printers, were the main source of 3D printing materials for end-users.

However, as end-users looked for more high-performance and diverse materials for use in applications like aerospace, consumer goods, and healthcare, the only supporting proprietary materials began to lose favor around five to 10 years ago. This created space for alternative suppliers of 3D printing materials to begin to prosper.

One of the most important newer sources for additive manufacturing materials were chemical companies; while they have always supplied raw materials that were then formulated into 3D printing materials, these chemical companies now directly supplied finished materials into the additive manufacturing market.

Multinational chemical giants like BASF, Evonik, Mitsubishi Chemical, and Covestro established their own additive manufacturing divisions, highlighting the 3D