Two 3D print companies are opening new offices.
The first is Shapeways in the Netherlands. The now-resurrected 3D print service is rapidly expanding, and they’ve signed a lease for a new facility in Eindhoven. They explain:
“The company will move into Hal 4 of the historic TX machine factory on Strijp-T, which is undergoing a major transformation. In addition to making the nearly 300-metre-long industrial hall and its underlying basement more sustainable, the building will be topped with three office towers, a central courtyard will be created, various studios will be added in the basement, and a large bicycle parking facility will be constructed. Shapeways will be the third company to move into the TX building starting next year.”
They intend on reworking the space for their requirements later this year and expect to “fully relocate” into the new space sometime in 2026. They will be able to expand their production capacity and simplify their workflows through redesign.
The facility will also sport a significant amount of solar panels to offset grid electricity requirements.
The second company with a new office is Formlabs, which abruptly revealed a new office in Shenzhen. While there doesn’t seem to be any official release, a post from CEO Max Lobovsky indicated something was up:
“Good morning, Shenzhen! Excited to be here this week for our new office opening and Formlabs leadership meeting.”
Further checking revealed a post by Formlabs’ Head of Services for the Americas, Trevor Schwartz, showed the opening of the facility. According to Schwartz:
“One standout moment: celebrating the grand opening of our brand-new Formlabs office in Shenzhen — launched in just 47 days from permits to open doors! That kind of execution and ingenuity is nothing short of remarkable.”
While Shapeways’ expansion demonstrates that company’s confidence in future growth, the Formlabs move to Shenzhen clearly shows they are serious about expanding their sales in China, the world’s largest manufacturing market.
These two events show that the world of 3D printing is not entirely doom and gloom as often stated in the press. There are multiple successful — and growing — companies that are doing just fine.
