High‑Performance Production through 3D Printing
About the Pilot
The 3DP Pilot led by Flanders, Norte and South-Netherlands was launched in 2013. It is a unique interregional innovation ecosystem that brings together over 130 organisations in additive manufacturing and regional policy makers. The Pilot’s mission is to speed up the rapid deployment and adoption of innovative 3D printing solutions and address new and emerging industrial needs by connecting capabilities and actors across our 32 Member regions.
Activities & Long Term Goals
Driving Collaborative Projects and Funding.
At the 3DP Pilot, we assist additive manufacturing stakeholders to come together, develop their ideas, secure funding, and comprehensive guidance at every stage of the projects’ lifecycle: from setting up interregional demonstration projects to commercialisation. By bridging the gap between prototypes and production, we play a pivotal role in facilitating the broader adoption of 3DP solutions by SMEs.
Introducing the 3DP Gateway: Your Digital Business Hub.
The 3DP Gateway is a dynamic digital platform designed to facilitate seamless business-to-business interactions. It provides a space for companies to showcase their offerings and needs, enabling them to connect with potential partners and foster collaboration. Through this platform, new doors for growth and opportunities are opened, driving innovation in the additive manufacturing industry.
Furthermore, we are committed to promoting SMEs and industry participation in our pilot activities with the organisation of events like the 3DP Business Innovators Meetings where industry leaders come together to share insights and foster collaboration.
Co-Leading Regions
Flanders
Norte
South-Netherands
Randstad Region
Participating Regions
Aragon
Asturias
Autonomous Province Of Trento / Trentino
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Baden - Württemberg
Cantabria
Catalunya
East And North Finland
East Netherlands
Emilia-Romagna
Flanders
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Gävleborg
Lombardia- Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
- Lower Saxony
Malopolska
Norte
North Rhine-Westphalia
Örebro County
Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
Slovenia
South-Netherlands
Tampere Region
Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
Värmland
Wales
Wallonia
Demo Cases
3d Printing
3d Printing
3d Printing
Latest Updates
VInnovate Call 2025 Results: Strength in Numbers
In Europe’s industrial transformation, scale is everything. Companies and regions must internationalise partnerships, combine investments and bring technologies to market faster than any single territory could achieve alone. This is precisely where VInnovate operates....
Annual Report 2023: Bioeconomy
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Annual Report 2023: Hydrogen
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Annual Report 2023: Nano
The report is available here.
Annual Report 2023: ESM
The report is available here.
Annual Report 2023: Artificial Intelligence
The report is available here.
Demo Cases
Generally, there is a lack of awareness (among SMEs, especially late adopters but not only) on the possible added value/benefit of additive manufacturing compared to traditional/well-known techniques. The project aims to create a “One Minute Guide” , to be integrated in the 3DPanEU Platform, to support SME’s in their search for applications. The “Guide” will not provide answers, but will link SME’s to websites, people, institutes where answers might be found.
Participating regions
Lombardia – South-Netherlands – East and North Finland – East Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna -Flanders – Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) – Saxony – South-Netherlands – Autonomous Province of Trento / Trentino – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) – Catalunya – Slovenia
Demo Cases
The objective is to make a one-stop-shop offering SMEs with relevant solutions to test and validate 3D Printing-based solutions for large parts.
Participating regions
Aragon – Asturias – South-Netherlands – Wallonia – Baden – Württemberg – Emilia-Romagna
Lombardia – Norte – North Rhine-Westphalia – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) – Slovenia
Demo Cases
Increase the use of Additive Manufacturing in Maintenance, by creating a catalogue/toolbox for maintenance we want to show how AM can contribute to become more flexible, quicker, cost effective, lower stocklevels, reduce CO2 footprint.
Participating regions
Aragon – East Netherlands – Gävleborg – Małopolska – South-Netherlands – Norte – South – Netherlands – Slovenia – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) – Catalunya
Demo Cases
The objective of the demo case is to explore new possibilities for the transition in the building and construction sector to digitization, robotization. The demo case focuses on deploying 3D Printed solutions in the construction sector in order to redirect the focus from object oriented to process-oriented industry. In this project, a particular attention is devoted to (among others); virtual design and testing, the digital twins/Moch-ups concepts, the investigations of various solutions for design and prototyping to be then taken up by possible end-users, sensors, ‘building information management’, etc.
Participating regions
Aragon – Asturias – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) – East Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna – Małopolska – Norte – Saxony – Saxony-Anhalt – South – Netherlands
Demo Cases
The overall objective is to demonstrate the feasibility, the value, the sustainability and the efficacy, as well as safety, of the 3DP technology once applied to medical problems, i.e. devices. More specifically, the demo case aims currently at setting up cross regional demonstration projects in order to further investigate, test and demonstrate 3D Printed Ankle and Foot Orthotics.
In the coming months, the demo case will aim at further broadening the objectives and scope of the demo case.
Participating regions
Aragon – East and North Finland – East Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna – Flanders – North Rhine – Westphalia – Saxony – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) – East Netherlands – Slovenia – Catalunya – South-Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna
Demo Cases
The main objective is to go from 2D printed electronics to 3D printed electronics using multi-material inkjet 3DP technology. By making use of freedom of design offered by 3DP and avoiding assembly steps few prototypes of different use-cases should be elaborated in order to demonstrate the capability of inkjet based multi-material 3DP of integrated electronics.
Participating regions
Aragon – Asturias – Catalunya – East Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna – Flanders – Wallonia – Saxony – Anhalt – Slovenia – South-Netherlands – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
Demo Cases
Technical/technological perspective: Design, develop and manufacture on demand and customized new concepts and solutions for helping in the automation of industrial processes (e.g. gripping, handling…) and assembling of components in collaborative robotic stations with advanced grippers.
Business perspective: Support SMEs through the design of lightweight multi-material grippers combining polymers and silicones of different hardness for advanced functionalities to solve customized needs in the industrial environment.
Participating regions
Aragon – East and North Finland – East Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna – Flanders – Wallonia – Gävleborg – Norte – Slovenia – Tampere Region – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
Demo Cases
The main objective is to combine subtractive and additive manufacturing in one step and make the process automated. This will fasten up the repairing process, make it more reliable and repeatable. Using 3d printing to repair parts instead of replacing the entire component can be very convenient and cheaper for the company.
Participating regions
Aragon – Wallonia – Catalunya – East and North Finland – East Netherlands – Emilia-Romagna – Flanders – Norte – Slovenia – South-Netherlands – Tampere Region – Autonomous Province of Trento / Trentino – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) – Värmland
Demo Cases
The demo-case aims at facilitating the uptake and deployment of 3D Printed innovative ultra-light hybrid components based on different materials and structure combinations. In order to do so, the demo case connects existing and complementary innovation facilities in the Regions through the creation and management of a common platform.
The demo case is currently focusing on a combination of 3D printed metal inserts with composite combinations for different industrial applications such as hard trim interior products, structural elements, external components, and powertrain elements.
Participating regions
Aragon – Baden – Württemberg – Norte – Saxony – Lombardia- East Netherlands – Flanders – Lombardia – Örebro County – Saxony – Slovenia – South-Netherlands – Autonomous Province of – Trento / Trentino – Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
Pilot Contacts
Jean-François Romainville
Expert in Innovation and Industrial Policy (IDEA Consult), primary contact person Network Manager of the 3DP Pilot, on behalf of the co-leading regions. jean-francois.romainville@ideaconsult.be
Pilot Contacts






