Overview
France ranks 4th in the additive manufacturing sector after Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The additive manufacturing sector in France represents 3% of the global additive manufacturing market and is valued at $600 million in 2023. Given a growth rate of 17%, the market will reach a turnover of approximately USD $700 million by 2030.
The additive manufacturing sector encompasses desktop & industrial 3D printers (stereo lithography, fused wire deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, electron beam fusion, and digital light processing), material type (metal, plastic, and ceramic), software for 3D printing, and on-demand manufacturing services. As there is still no custom classification code for additive manufacturing machines, French customs has been using 8477(809990), 8479, or 8486 HS codes to classify additive manufacturing equipment. This wide variety of technologies and products and the lack of classification make it difficult to collect trade, export, and import figures.
In 2017, the French government set up the “Industry of the Future” program to support private sector investment in 3D printing, facilitating the development of new technology and promoting 3D printing benefits. In 2021, the French government encouraged the 3D printing of spare parts to combat waste. The AM industry has experienced many mergers and acquisitions in recent years. While there has been consolidation, the industry is not yet mature, which means it will continue to grow in the coming years.
Despite the small size of its additive manufacturing ecosystem, as well as the lack of standards and certifications, France is an innovative European country in terms of filing patents in the additive manufacturing field.
In 2021, industrial 3D printers represented the largest market share, but it looks like desktop solutions will become increasingly important in the coming years. Similarly, it also seems that private individuals will increasingly invest more in 3D printers for personal use. Usage among universities, research centers, and schools will also continue to grow through the years.
France is endowed with a highly sophisticated network of research and development institutes whose mission is to work on innovative projects on behalf of their members. Those entities are all a part of the Additive Factory Hub initiative: CEA, Cetim, IRT Jules Verne, Le Reseau Carnot, AddimAlliance, and the Scientific Interest Group/SIG-CNRS.
Leading Sub-Sectors
In terms of end-user industries, the demand for additive manufacturing technologies in France is attributed to the aerospace, defense & space, automotive (with growing demands for electrical vehicles), wind, healthcare/dental, consumer goods, and electronics industries. France is particularly well positioned with its large aerospace sector with noteworthy firms like Dassault Systems, Safran, and Airbus investing in AM technologies through collaboration with international and local AM technologies’ suppliers.
In terms of materials, polymers remain the most common material used for AM applications followed by composites. However, metals are expected to have the strongest future demand.
For applications, prototyping remains the largest segment, all processes and materials combined, followed by tooling and functional parts. Industries such as aerospace and automotive are also in need of large-scale structural metal parts.
Interestingly, 65% of tool parts are produced with additive manufacturing technologies (molds, inserts, pliers) and one-fifth of aerospace, automotive, mechanical, and engineering companies in France use additive solutions to print their own tools.
The main additive manufacturing technologies used in production are SLM (Selective Laser Melting), SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), LM (Laser Melting), BJ (Binder Jetting), and TPP (Two Photon Polymerization). The integration of AI with additive manufacturing capabilities has also grown significantly in France especially for applications in the aerospace industry.
Opportunities for Cutting-Edge American Companies:
France has about 200 companies in the additive manufacturing field, 60 R&D centers, and 40 clusters and innovation center laboratories. Most French companies in the manufacturing industry are small and medium-sized firms. Therefore, the level of financial risk for those companies is low, and the decision to work with new suppliers is slow and complicated.
AM Distribution Channels:
There are around 100 sales/distribution entities operating in France. The Paris and Lyon regions are the most represented with entities including:
- Large independent exclusive or multi-brand wholesalers who sell to resellers in France and outside of France.
- Resellers with regional market coverage or a focus on E-commerce. They provide after-sales services.
- Direct sales or hybrid approach selling direct to end-users and through resellers.
Reaching French OEMs and Tier I suppliers is challenging. U.S. companies looking to expand into the French market in the advanced manufacturing industry, where suppliers need to be close to their clients, should consider working with a local partner. Other business development strategies include opening an office in Europe, acquiring a French competitor, or developing a joint-venture partnership.
American brands are well represented in the French market with players such as Stratasys, AddUp, Markforged, Desktop Metal, Velo3d, Formlabs, Xometry, and Shapeways that have adopted various expansion strategies such as distribution partnerships and setting up subsidiaries in Europe.
Resources
For EU regulations, visit: EU - EU Legislation and CE Marking (trade.gov)
Trade Fairs:
3D PRINT – October 11-12, 2023 – Paris, France
3D PRINT Paris - The leading additive manufacturing trade show in France (3dprint-exhibition-paris.com)
Global Industrie – March 25-28, 2024 – Paris, France
Global Industrie 2024 - Home (global-industrie.com)
Advanced Prototyping Solutions Meetings – April 3-4, 2024 – Lyon, France
APS Meetings 2021 advanced prototyping solutions
JEC World 2024 – March 5-7, 2024 – Paris, France
JEC World 2024 - The Leading International Composites Show (JEC-world.events)
Associations/Federation/Institutes:
Alliance Industry du Future: Industry of the Future Alliance - Supporting companies towards digital (industrie-dufutur.org)
Encourages industrial and digital technology professional organizations to form partnerships in academics, technology, and financing.
French professional organization for creators of industrial solutions — machine, technology, and equipment manufacturers with a focus on industrial applications.
France Additive: About us | France additive
France Additive brings together the entire French 3D printing industry: key private companies, R&D centers, labs, universities, and startups, to facilitate integration of additive manufacturing process within companies.
CETIM Institute: Home Page - Cetim Engineering (cetim-engineering.com)
Cetim, is the largest industrial French technical and research center for mechanical industries.
CECIMO: Home - CECIMO
CECIMO is an umbrella organization dedicated to promoting the common interests and values of European manufacturing technologies. It encompasses European machine tools and additive technologies and works tirelessly at both EU and global levels.
Contact: U.S. Embassy in France- U.S. Commercial Service Trade Specialist:
Stephanie.Pencole@trade.gov Tel: +33 (1) 43 12 71 78