South Korea is drawing up a 10-year blueprint for its 3D printing industry

The South Korean government is drawing up a 10-year plan to promote and develop 3D printing into a new growth market, and help transform the manufacturing sector. The country’s Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning as well as Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy have been tasked to gather feedback from industry players and the public and work on the details for the roadmap, which are scheduled to be ready by October. “The 3D printing industry is a new growth engine to bring about innovation in the manufacturing realm,” Lee Kwan-seok, an official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said in a statement Wednesday reported Yonhap News Agency. “It is anticipated to take a key role in the country’s creative economy drive by converging with the ICT sector.” The Seoul administration has been looking to establish new business and job opportunities by merging ICT and other industry segments, as it aims to drive the local economy. In its statement, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning noted that the 3D market is currently dominated by a handful of global companies that own the core technologies. “Although a few South Korean firms hold their own technologies, their competitive edge in the sector is still blunt compared with global leading companies,” the ministry said.