Ministry to release plan for 3D printing

A blueprint on the development of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has been drafted by the industry regulator and will be released this year, the Shanghai Securities News reported on Monday.

The plan aims to establish a preliminary technical innovation system by 2017, and cultivate five to 10 additive manufacturers with annual production value of more than 500 million yuan ($81.3 million) each, the newspaper reported, citing the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

China will also strengthen financial support to 3D printing enterprises by encouraging them to get listed both at home and abroad and issue corporate bonds, the report said.

An investment fund and a national innovation center will also be set up for 3D printing industry, an MIIT official said, according to the report.

Chinese firms are still left behind in terms of 3D printing technologies compared with international competitors.

None of Chinese 3D printing firms have sales revenues of more than 100 million yuan and very few have revenues exceeding 50 million yuan, while the European and US firms generate sales revenues of more than 1 billion yuan, Luo Jun, secretary-general of the World 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance, was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

China accounted for about 17 percent of the 3D printing market worldwide in 2013 and 7 percent in 2012. The country's 3D printing market value is expected to double this year to 4 to 5 billion yuan, according to Luo.