• After a few rough years, the mood among additive manufacturing executives is shifting. • Not euphoric, but noticeably better. • New data from the 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey shows that 70.3 per cent of respondents expect business conditions in 2026 to be favourable or very favourable. • That’s a meaningful jump from 51.2 per cent who looked back on 2025 positively. • The “very favourable” camp more than doubled (from 9.2 per cent to 20.3 per cent), and the share expecting unfavourable conditions collapsed from 20 per cent to just 6.3 per cent. • Those are striking numbers.
Article Summaries:
- Additive‑manufacturing executives now view 2026 more positively than 2025, with a 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey reporting that 70.3 % expect favourable or very favourable business conditions, up from 51.2 % for 2025. The “very favourable” share more than doubled (9.2 % to 20.3 %), while those anticipating unfavourable conditions fell to 6.3 %. Internally, optimism lags slightly: 64.1 % foresee favourable conditions, leaving nearly 30 % neutral and hesitant to expand. Key obstacles cited include customer education, lengthy qualification cycles, a fragmented hardware‑software‑materials ecosystem, and persistent macro‑economic headwinds.
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