13.5% Annual Growth over the Next Five Years for Additive Manufacturing
Have you heard of the German firm AMPOWER? Every year, it publishes a report on the additive manufacturing market that analyzes its revenue trends and provides growth forecasts. The latest edition has just been released, and the outlook for 2025 is quite positive. The market is projected to have rebounded with 5.6% growth. This is an encouraging statistic, considering that the figure was 2% the previous year.
Because, yes, the current situation remains uncertain: additive manufacturing has faced clear headwinds in recent years, grappling with a complicated geopolitical landscape. This is not unique to our industry—which is, in a sense, good news.
The additive manufacturing market grew by 5.6% in 2025 (photo credit: AMPOWER)
We actually got a sense of this at Formnext 2025: even though the trade show didn’t lay down carpet in its aisles, the overall atmosphere was pleasantly surprising. The discussions we had confirm the market’s gradual recovery, and we can see light at the end of the tunnel. AMPOWER is revising its forecasts and targeting annual growth of 13.5% over the next five years, which would bring the market to over 21 billion euros.
What Is Driving the Growth of AM?
The AMPOWER report specifically highlights the increased demand for parts manufacturing and a rise in material consumption. There is greater demand for 3D printing services, a trend already noted by Wohlers Reports earlier this year.
The report takes a closer look at polymer and metal additive manufacturing. On the plastics side, it shows an increase in sales of desktop 3D printers in terms of volume. In fact, the market for polymer solutions priced under 10,000 euros has grown by 30%. AMPOWER explains that companies are more interested in purchasing several smaller machines—some want to build a printer farm—than in moving toward more expensive industrial systems.
Regarding metals, the report shows that the leading players in laser powder bed fusion have lost some market share to Chinese manufacturers. While Bambu Lab is making quite a splash in the desktop 3D printer market, there’s no denying the growth of industrial players in China—and we should definitely keep an eye on it!
The defense sector is one of the most important drivers of growth for the metal industry (photo credit: AMPOWER)
Finally, AMPOWER reveals—not surprisingly—that the defense and aerospace sectors are the biggest drivers of growth in metal additive manufacturing. For the past four years, these sectors have recorded growth rates exceeding 20%. 3D technologies make it possible to address certain weaknesses in supply chains, respond to urgent needs, and design customized, high-performance equipment.
If you would like to download the full study, click HERE.
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*Cover Photo: SPEE3D
