According to the latest global semi-annual 3D printing spending guide issued by International Data Corporation (IDC), global 3D printing spending will reach $ 23 billion in 2022. The compound annual growth rate of 3D printing hardware, materials, software and services in the next 5 years is 18.4%. In the short term, IDC expects global spending to exceed $ 14 billion in 2019, an increase of 23.2% over 2018.
"3D printing solutions are getting more and more attention outside of traditional industries such as aerospace, automotive manufacturing and healthcare," said Marianne Daquila, research manager at IDC.
"Promoted by fully customized solutions, professional services and retail will spend more than $ 1 billion per year before the end of the forecast period."
Researchers say that 3D printers and materials together account for two-thirds of total global spending, reaching $ 7.8 billion and $ 8 billion by 2022, respectively. Service spending will reach $ 4.8 billion in 2022, primarily on-demand parts services and system integration services. At the same time, the purchase rate of 3D printing software will be slower than the overall market, with a five-year growth rate of 16.7%.
According to IDC, the main uses of 3D printing are prototypes, aftermarket parts and new product parts, which will account for 45% of global spending in 2019. The five-year compound annual growth rate of dental supplies and medical support objects and tissue / organ / bone printing will exceed 21%.
"The advent of high-speed 3D printers, the expansion of production configurations, and the materials that can be used for 3D printing continue to make 3D printing widely available in many industries," said Tim Greene, research director of Hardcopy Peripherals and 3D Printing.
"The development of these new materials is critical because it increases adoption and utilization. Over the forecast period, IDC expects revenue from 3D printed materials to exceed revenue from 3D printer hardware."
Geographically, the United States has the highest total spending in 2019, at $ 5.4 billion, and Western Europe at $ 4 billion. Together, the two regions will provide nearly two-thirds of 3D printing spending. China will become the third largest region with spending over $ 1.9 billion, followed by the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan), Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).