Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi underscore how top consulting firms are pivoting toward 3D printing in response to shrinking federal contracts and rising demand in defense and industry.
A quiet shift is taking place in the consulting world. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has drastically reduced billions of dollars in federal contract awards to the top ten consulting firms. For firms like Booz Allen, Deloitte, Accenture, and Ernst & Young (EY), that’s a signal: adapt or shrink. The scramble is on to find new areas of growth — and 3D printing, once considered niche, is starting to look like a serious opportunity.
While each of these firms has explored 3D printing in some capacity, few have treated it as a priority. But that might be changing. The sector is expanding fast, driven by defense needs, industrial transformation, and the digitization of manufacturing. The real question is: will these firms choose to go deeper — and if so, where will they focus their firepower?
Let’s look at where the big players stand now.
Booz Allen Hamilton: A Defense-Driven 3D Printing Hub
Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) operates almost entirely within the government contracting space, with US$11 billion in annual sales. That focus has historically limited its commercial push, but it also means the firm has deep exposure to military and aerospace innovation — areas where 3D printing is exploding.
The U.S. Department of Defense has heavily invested in additive manufacturing, using it to create custom parts on demand, reduce logistical burdens, and maintain aging equipment. Booz Allen has been a quiet but capable partner in that process.
One tangible example is Booz Allen’s growing presence in Huntsville, Alabama — home to its Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence and a hub for U.S. defense work. At this center, Booz Allen integrates 3D printing with digital engineering and materials science to support the Army’s modernization goals. Their focus includes rapid prototyping and field repair capabilities using metal additive manufacturing — a necessity in remote or contested environments.
This is not just about building parts faster. It’s about building smarter, more resilient supply chains. Booz Allen is in a strong position to expand this work into the commercial space, particularly in industries like aerospace, automotive, and energy, where mission-critical manufacturing is essential. The firm’s expertise in data and systems integration could make it a valuable guide for companies looking to scale 3D printing beyond the lab and into core operations.
Ernst & Young: 3D Printing as a Service
EY may not be the first name that comes to mind in manufacturing circles, but it’s one of the few consulting firms to launch a dedicated 3D printing practice. Its pitch is clear: 3D printing isn’t just a technical capability — it’s a business model.
Here’s how EY frames it on its website:
“We help companies transition from prototyping to serial production through strategy, implementation, and platform development — creating a future-ready 3D printing supply chain.”
The firm is targeting manufacturers who are shifting from centralized factories to distributed production models — a major benefit of 3D printing. In 2023, EY helped a major European automotive supplier decentralize its spare parts supply chain. Instead of warehousing thousands of components, the company now stores designs digitally and prints parts on demand across different service hubs.
This transformation doesn’t just save cost — it fundamentally changes how companies think about inventory, logistics, and customer responsiveness.
EY also advises clients on regulatory compliance for 3D printed medical devices — a space gaining traction with the rise of personalized implants and custom surgical tools. For instance, in Germany, EY worked with a med-tech company to validate its additive manufacturing workflow under EU MDR standards, enabling faster market entry.
With its global footprint and tax advisory strength, EY is positioning itself to help multinationals navigate the full spectrum of additive manufacturing — from strategy to operations to compliance.
Deloitte: Strategic Alliance with HP and Industry 4.0
Deloitte has long led in automation and digital transformation — and it sees 3D printing as part of the broader Industry 4.0 landscape.
Its alliance with HP, launched in 2017, goes beyond consulting slides. Deloitte helps companies integrate HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing systems into real-world workflows. One success story involves Jabil, a global manufacturing services company. Deloitte helped Jabil assess which parts could be economically 3D printed, model cost savings, and reengineer designs for additive manufacturing.
This wasn’t just about swapping out machines. It required data analysis, design thinking, and change management — all areas where Deloitte excels.
Deloitte’s additive manufacturing services are also deeply embedded in its broader smart factory offering. In 2022, it worked with a leading aerospace firm to redesign a supply chain using digital twins and additive manufacturing, cutting lead times by 40% for critical engine components.
As sustainability becomes more important to manufacturers, Deloitte is also helping clients track and reduce the carbon footprint of 3D printing — often significantly lower than traditional processes due to localized production and material efficiency.
Accenture: Joint Ventures and Strategic Investments
Accenture is playing the long game. While it hasn’t built a standalone 3D printing practice like EY, it’s deeply involved through partnerships and strategic alliances.
The most notable is its joint venture with Siemens: “Innovate Together.” This initiative aims to accelerate digital manufacturing, with additive manufacturing as a core capability. Siemens provides the hardware and industrial software; Accenture brings in digital strategy, analytics, and systems integration. The goal is to help clients shorten product development cycles, reduce waste, and build more agile factories.
One example is Accenture’s role in helping Italian biotech company Moderna Italy — not to be confused with the U.S. vaccine giant — use Siemens technology and HP Enterprise additive systems to produce custom lab equipment faster and more cost-effectively. Accenture helped integrate 3D printing into their R&D lifecycle, drastically reducing the time needed to iterate on prototypes and deploy new tools for gene sequencing.
Accenture’s strength lies in scale and digital architecture. It’s not selling 3D printers — it’s selling transformation. And as more manufacturers look to embed additive into their global operations, Accenture’s cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity capabilities will be essential to make it all work securely and efficiently.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing and revising 3D printed prototypes are typically eligible expenses toward the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software can also be an eligible R&D expense. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
Conclusion: Will They Go All In?
The top consulting firms are full of smart people — no surprise there. What’s more relevant is that many of them already have meaningful experience with 3D printing, especially through U.S. defense projects. That gives them a strong base of knowledge, trusted relationships, and a high-stakes testing ground.
But now the context is shifting. With DOGE cutting federal budgets and Europe ramping up defense and manufacturing spending, consultants have a new incentive to pivot. Countries like Germany, Poland, and Sweden are massively increasing defense budgets and localizing industrial production. That creates a ripe opportunity to export U.S. defense-based 3D printing expertise into allied governments and NATO supply chains.
Meanwhile, commercial demand for additive manufacturing is growing across sectors — from medical to aerospace, from custom tools to spare parts. To capture this, firms need to move 3D printing from the edge of their service offerings to the core of their transformation narratives.
Will they go deeper?
For Booz Allen, that means leveraging its defense roots to create civilian applications. For EY, it’s about scaling a niche practice into a global business. Deloitte and Accenture will continue weaving 3D printing into their broader digital manufacturing solutions.
The expertise is already there. What remains to be seen is whether these firms will scale it — or leave that opportunity to someone else.
