Government needs policy plan for 3D printing ‘revolution’

The UK government must prepare for the “significant strains” on policy that the development of 3D printing technology will bring, according to a report from the Big Innovation Centre think tank.

The technology—which translates a digital file into a physical object—has “huge” economic potential and is sometimes described as the ‘third industrial revolution’, according to the 16 October report. It adds that the UK could be a world leader in the field if the government properly prepares for its arrival.