ADDLAB, the 3D printing laboratory at the heart of Decathlon innovation

A few days ago, the French brand Decathlon inaugurated its first store concept of the future, which integrates an ADDLAB laboratory and is located in Villeneuve d’Ascq, the north of France. Called Decathlon DX, the 800 square meter store shows off new technologies such as contactless payment, 3D measurement, and 3D printing, which invites the customer to participate in the design of tomorrow’s products. The 3Dnatives team met with Julien Guillen, leader of additive manufacturing projects at Decathlon, in order to better understand the uses and challenges of 3D technology within a leading international group in the sports sector.

Decathlon began integrating additive manufacturing several years ago, creating their ADDLAB laboratory – an acronym for “Additive Manufacturing” and “Laboratory” – located within its BTWIN Village campus in Lille, France. “We began using this technology to advance innovation, to help our product engineers save time, and above all to optimize the production process of our sports goods”, says Julien Guillen, Decathlon’s Leader in Additive Manufacturing.

Over the months, the very concept of ADDLAB has developed within the company to now be present in miltiple locations not only in France, but internationally. More recently, Decathlon invested in HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, which has enabled the sports manufacturer to carry out a wide range of applications, from prototyping during the design phases to pre-series or after-sales for various sports fields such as cycling or water activities. The newest ADDLAB is located in the heart of the Decathlon DX store, providing a great showcase of the brand’s innovation to customers.

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