First we see 3D printing enabling consumers to re‐position
themselves right at the heart of manufacturing. Second, we see
more and more companies engaging across the supply chain. 1.
Demand for Online Content is Accelerating As a response to the
growing societal demand to be involved in the development
process and a growing demand for personalized production, today
we find a plethora of very low cost 3D printing machines for the
home and for the educational & maker community. This trend is
spurring increasing demand for online ‘iStore’ repositories and
libraries where home makers can download and then 3D print an
ever increasing array of products. We will also find in the
coming years an increasing number of web shops and online web
portals where consumers can become co‐creators by engaging
directly with their own product designs. The development of home
based 3D printing and online data allows consumers to become in
effect, mini‐factories, thus compressing the supply chain from
the CAD terminal straight to t