Additive manufacturing technology and business model change – a review of literature

Abstract

This paper is a literature review on business models used in the additive manufacturing industry. We focus the investigation by categorizing the effects additive manufacturing into four classes by looking at incremental and disruptive applications in closed and in open market models. The economic feasibility of these applications is critically discussed on the background of the existing literature. Additive manufacturing business models is an emerging area of research, where tangible, case-based evidence is still rare, and the views on the business potential of additive manufacturing technologies are strongly divided.