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The introduction of the fourth dimension (4D) to the third dimension (3D) is known as 4D printing technology. With the help of 4D, the created 3D object possess the capability to change its shape by itself over the influence of external stimuli such as heat, light, electricity, magnetic field, and others. Thus the capability of objects to transform their structure over time by using the behavior of different materials is termed as 4D printing and it does not require human intervention in the process. Furthermore, increasing need for flexible objects in various applications such as adaptive wind turbines, self-folding packaging, and others, has created the emergence of 4D printing in the market.

The global 4D printing market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period (2021–2028). The rising demand for innovation in 3D printing applications and considerable research & development is expected to drive the global 4D printing market growth during the forecast period. The 4D technology is the advance version of the 3D technology, which offers improved quality, efficiency, and performance capabilities over the traditional manufacturing techniques. The technology used in 4D technology develops materials that have the ability to change their behavior and properties based on change in temperature, pressure and so on. For instance, in March 2016, Airbus SAS, a European based aerospace company announced partnership with MIT’s Media Lab, a U.S. based research Lab worked with 4D printing technology in order to develop a solution that will cool its engines depending on temperature and other factors. They have developed air inlet component that can transform in response to aerodynamic conditions to decrease air resistance. In addition, the growing need for reducing manufacturing and processing cost, owing to the high competition, is also fueling the market growth in the future. Several companies have also started adopting these advanced 4D printing technologies in order to develop high quality products for the users. These 4D printing products have lesser manufacturing, transportation, and handling costs, which in turn, would lead to the saving of resources and efforts, thereby sustaining the environment.

Global 4D Printing Market - Impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic

COVID-19 has significantly disrupted almost all the industries including infrastructure, transportation, oil and gas, manufacturing, and others. To combat COVID-19 pandemic, most of the countries implemented lockdown and are now easing it phase-wise and industry wise. This has significantly impacted manufacturing sector, as the facilities across the globe were temporarily shut down. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased the demand for 4D printing in the healthcare industry. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, several industries witnessed significant shift in their business. There is significant impact on the global 4D printing market, as healthcare industries has suffered a lot due to this pandemic. During this time of social and economic despair, most of the healthcare industries are under stress due to shortage of beds and medical equipment’s. There are disruption in the supply chain of these medical equipment throughout the U.S., Europe, and India, and due to this there is a shortage of medical equipment and kits. For instance, in Italy, there is a shortage of medical equipment’s and PPE kits for the protection of the health workers in the hospitals. This increasing demand of 4D printing in medical sector is fueling the market growth.

North America held dominant position in the global 4D printing market during the forecast period.

Statistics:

Among regions, North America held dominant position in the global 4D printing market in 2020, accounting for 41.6% share in terms of value, followed by Asia Pacific and Europe.

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4D Printing Market Report Coverage

Report Coverage Details
Base Year: 2020 Market Size in 2021: US$ 82.6 Mn
Historical Data for: 2017 to 2019 Forecast Period: 2021 to 2028
Forecast Period 2021 to 2028 CAGR: 29.4% 2028 Value Projection: US$ 625.6 Mn
Geographies covered:
  • North America: U.S. and Canada
  • Latin America: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America
  • Europe: Germany, U.K., Spain, France, Italy, Russia, and Rest of Europe
  • Asia Pacific: China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, ASEAN, and Rest of Asia Pacific
  • Middle East and Africa: GCC Countries, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East and Africa
Segments covered:
  • By Material: Programmable Carbon Fiber, Programmable Wood, and Programmable Textiles
  • By End user: Military & Defense, BFSI, Aerospace, Logistics, Healthcare, Retail, Food & Beverage, Construction, and Others
Companies covered:

Stratasys Ltd., 3D Systems Inc., Autodesk, Inc., Hewlett Packard Corp., ExOne Corporation, Organovo Holdings, Inc., Materialise NV, Dassault Systèmes, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Heineken NV, Norsk Titanium US Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., and Engineering & Manufacturing Services Inc.

Growth Drivers:
  • Increasing adoption of 4D printing in medical sector
  • Increasing adoption of 4D printing in aerospace sector
Restraints & Challenges:
  • High investment cost

Figure 1: Global 4D Printing Market Share (%), By Region, 2020

4D Printing  | Coherent Market Insights

North America is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period, owing to the increasing investments by the U.S. Government into the 4D technology in the market. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is planning to adopt additive manufacturing in airspace industry. Several companies are investing in new programs to integrate 4D printing technology into the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force manufacturing operations. For instance, in November 2017, America Makes announced a Project Call for Phase III of the Maturation of Advanced Manufacturing for Low-Cost Sustainment (MAMLS) program, funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), a U.S. based research organization. This project is used to improve rapid part replacement/maintenance for legacy aircraft, enable on-demand replacement of critically damaged or obsolete components, and reduce the lead time to fabricate replacement components.

Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit highest growth during the forecast period, owing to the rising construction industry in the region. 4D printing companies develop machines that can change their shape as per the working environment conditions. For instance, countries such as India and China have a huge urban population and have created huge demand for 4D printing market in the Asia-Pacific region. For instance, the population of China has reached 1,400.0 million in 2019 from 1,395.3 million in 2018.

Military & defense segment is expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period.

Among end user, military & defense segment is expected to hold dominant position in the global 4D printing market during the forecast period. The military sector of various countries has been adopting 3D printing technologies to assists soldier to combat missions and operations. For instance, the U.S. Army Research Center is developing applications such as a soldier’s uniform that can alter its own camouflage or provide more effective protection against poisonous gases. These 4D technologies are used for producing machinery, guns, and other defense technologies, which in turn increases the segment growth during the forecast period.

Figure 2: Global 4D Printing Market Value (US$ Mn) Analysis and Forecast and Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2017 - 2028

4D Printing  | Coherent Market Insights

The global 4D printing market was valued at US$ 82.6 Mn in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 625.6 Mn by 2028 at a CAGR of 29.4% between 2021 and 2028.

Major players operating in the global 4D printing market include Stratasys Ltd., 3D Systems Inc., Autodesk, Inc., Hewlett Packard Corp., ExOne Corporation, Organovo Holdings, Inc., Materialise NV, Dassault Systèmes, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Heineken NV, Norsk Titanium US Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., and Engineering & Manufacturing Services Inc.

4D printing is the process through which a 3D printed object transforms itself into another structure over the influence of external stimuli such as temperature, light, electricity, heat, and others. The difference between 3D printing and 4D printing is that 4D printing technology uses programmable and advanced materials that perform a different functionality by adding hot water, light or heat. The increasing demand for 4D printing in various industries such as healthcare, military & defense, automotive, retail, and others is driving the market growth during the forecast period.

Market Dynamics

The growing adoption of 4D printing technology in healthcare sector is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. The 4D printing software is used to create, design, and assemble models which is required in the healthcare industry. This is attributed to increasing demand of 4D technology for various applications such as chemotherapy, self-assembling human scale biomaterials, and tissue engineering in healthcare industry. Furthermore, 4D printing technology helps in reducing the surgical procedures that could save the patients with pain associated with the surgical procedures. Moreover, growing demand for organ transplantation, technological advancement, research & development of the 4D printing technology in the healthcare sector, and the presence of highly developed healthcare infrastructure is fueling the market growth. For instance, according to Coherent Market Insight analysis, global 4D printing in healthcare market is expected to reach US$ 40.1 million by 2027 from US$ 3.9 million in 2020 with a CAGR of 27.8% during the forecast period.

Key features of the study:

  • This report provides in-depth analysis of the global 4D printing market size (US$ Million) and compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for the forecast period (2021– 2028), considering 2020 as the base year
  • It elucidates potential revenue opportunities across different segments and explains attractive investment proposition matrices for this market
  • This study also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals, regional outlook, and competitive strategies adopted by the leading  market players
  • It profiles leading players in the global 4D printing market based on the following parameters – company overview, financial performance, product portfolio, geographical presence, market capital, key developments, strategies, and future plans
  • Companies covered as a part of this study include Stratasys Ltd., 3D Systems Inc., Autodesk, Inc., Hewlett Packard Corp., ExOne Corporation, Organovo Holdings, Inc., Materialise NV, Dassault Systèmes, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Heineken NV, Norsk Titanium US Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., and Engineering & Manufacturing Services Inc.
  • Insights from this report would allow marketers and management authorities of companies to make informed decisions regarding future product launches, product upgrades, market expansion, and marketing tactics
  • The global 4D printing market report caters to various stakeholders in this industry including investors, suppliers, managed service providers, third-party service providers, distributors, new entrants, and value-added resellers
  • Stakeholders would have ease in decision-making through various strategy matrices used in analyzing the global 4D printing market

Detailed Segmentation

  • Global 4D Printing Market, By Material:
    • Programmable Carbon Fiber
    • Programmable Wood
    • Programmable Textiles
  • Global 4D Printing Market, By End user:
    • Military & Defense
    • BFSI
    • Aerospace
    • Logistics
    • Healthcare
    • Retail
    • Food & Beverage
    • Construction
    • Others
  • Global 4D Printing Market, By Region:
    • North America
      • By Material:
        • Programmable Carbon Fiber
        • Programmable Wood
        • Programmable Textiles
      • By End User:
        • Military & Defense
        • BFSI
        • Aerospace
        • Logistics
        • Healthcare
        • Retail
        • Food & Beverage
        • Construction
        • Others
      • By Country:
        • U.S.
        • Canada
    • Europe
      • By Material:
        • Programmable Carbon Fiber
        • Programmable Wood
        • Programmable Textiles
      • By End User:
        • Military & Defense
        • BFSI
        • Aerospace
        • Logistics
        • Healthcare
        • Retail
        • Food & Beverage
        • Construction
        • Others
      • By Country:
        • Germany
        • U.K.
        • France
        • Italy
        • Spain
        • Russia
        • Rest of Europe
    • Asia Pacific
      • By Material:
        • Programmable Carbon Fiber
        • Programmable Wood
        • Programmable Textiles
      • By End User:
        • Military & Defense
        • BFSI
        • Aerospace
        • Logistics
        • Healthcare
        • Retail
        • Food & Beverage
        • Construction
        • Others
      • By Country:
        • China
        • India
        • Japan
        • Australia
        • South Korea
        • ASEAN
        • Rest of Asia Pacific
    • Latin America
      • By Material:
        • Programmable Carbon Fiber
        • Programmable Wood
        • Programmable Textiles
      • By End User:
        • Military & Defense
        • BFSI
        • Aerospace
        • Logistics
        • Healthcare
        • Retail
        • Food & Beverage
        • Construction
        • Others
    • Middle East and Africa
      • By Material:
        • Programmable Carbon Fiber
        • Programmable Wood
        • Programmable Textiles
      • By End User:
        • Military & Defense
        • BFSI
        • Aerospace
        • Logistics
        • Healthcare
        • Retail
        • Food & Beverage
        • Construction
        • Others
      • By Country/Region:
        • GCC Countries
        • South Africa
        • Rest of Middle East and Africa
  • Company Profiles
    • Stratasys Ltd.*
      • Company Overview
      • Product Portfolio
      • Financial Performance
      • Key Strategies
      • Recent Developments/ Updates
    • 3D Systems Inc.
    • Autodesk, Inc.
    • Hewlett Packard Corp.
    • ExOne Corporation
    • Organovo Holdings, Inc.
    • Materialise NV
    • Dassault Systèmes
    • ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES)
    • Heineken NV
    • Norsk Titanium US Inc.
    • Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc.
    • Engineering & Manufacturing Services Inc.

 “*” marked represents similar segmentation in other categories in the respective section.

Frequently Asked Questions

The global 4D printing market is expected to reach US$ 625.6 million by 2028.
The market is expected to witness a CAGR of 29.4% during the forecast period (2021-2028).
The increasing adoption of 4D printing in several industries such as healthcare, aerospace, military, and defense is expected to drive growth of the market during the forecast period.
The military and defense segment held the largest market share among end user in 2020.
North America region held the largest share in the market in 2020, accounting for 41.6% share in terms of value.
Key players operating in the market include Stratasys Ltd., 3D Systems Inc., Autodesk, Inc., Hewlett Packard Corp., ExOne Corporation, Organovo Holdings, Inc., Materialise NV, Dassault Systèmes, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Heineken NV, Norsk Titanium US Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., and Engineering & Manufacturing Services Inc.

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