China expects to unveil first 3D printing industry plan within year

(ECNS) -- A plan aimed at boosting China's 3D printing industry is expected to come into play within this year, the 21st Century Business Herald reported.

Authorities are busy working on the country's first plan for the industry, said Su Bo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

3D printing is one of the fastest-growing business sectors, facilities and services of which having maintained a growth rate of 27 percent since its birth 26 years ago, said Chen Zhu, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Sales of 3D printers and related services made up to 1.2 billion yuan ($194.4 million) last year in China, Chen added.

Su said the ministry intends to lay emphasis on its support on development of 3D printing and medical apparatus, and aims to apply the technology to research & development on new drugs.

The technology has been widely used in printing models for medical use and personalized implants, helping repair bionic tissues, Su noted. "It's might also be possible to apply to living tissue and organs in the near future," he added.

China has reached a few achievements on applying 3D printing to medical research. Tsinghua University printed out the world's first in vitro three-dimensional model of a tumor with this technology, while Peking University Third Hospital developed the country's first artificial axis to be applied in the treatment of malignant tumours.

The world's market scale of 3D printing industry will grow to 6 billion dollars by 2019, with the sector for medical application accounting for 15.1 percent, according to Wohelrs Associate, a leading consulting firm focused on developments and trends related to this technology.