A recent sectoral study by the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA Qatar) pointed to prominent opportunities for 3D technologies in affiliated industries in Qatar, from metals, IT and electronic to building materials. Owing to its mega infrastructure projects, the country’s infrastructure and construction industry was valued at $26bn this year - a figure that will be increasingly supported by 3D printing, the study said.
“In Qatar, foreign investors can access a flourishing 3D printing industry, backed by robust state support and national programs that have earned the country an estimated market share of over $100m in the MENA region,” the study added, highlighting four industries in which Qatar offers unique opportunities for 3D-printed products, namely Aerospace; Healthcare; Construction; and Infrastructure.
It noted that Qatar is a global contender among foreign direct investment destinations, including in the 3D printing industry.
It offers up to 100 percent foreign ownership in all sectors, unrivalled in the GCC region, and boasts efficient legislation to protect intellectual property (IP) and industrial designs to eliminate cross-border regulation issues.“Moreover, several accelerator programs lend a helping hand to aspiring entrepreneurs and investors.
To name a few, the Technology Development Fund (TDF) provides gap funding for early-stage and promising technologies, while the Digital Incubation Centre (DIC) boosts ICT innovation, particularly among young people at the critical stages of growing a tech enterprise,” the study added.
When Sidra Medicine, a premier womens and childrens hospital, succeeded in the first conjoined twins’ surgery in Qatar, state-of-the-art 3D printing technology was instrumental in creating a model for vital presurgical planning.
Four decades after the development of the first 3D printing machines, the technology now supports production at scale, lowering design restrictions and paving the way for mass customization at a lower variable cost.
Compared with traditional production approaches, it saves time, inventory space and waste, since unused powder can be reused for the next printing batches.
Poised to reach a global market value of $30.4bn by 2028, additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is taking up a growing role in various industries.
