Today's Edition
Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi)
In recent years, 3D printing has evolved from a niche technology into a transformative force within various industries. Once the realm of hobbyists and prototyping, it is now a burgeoning sector reshaping manufacturing, design, and even healthcare.
As advancements in materials and precision continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, 3D printing is emerging as a cornerstone of modern industry, enabling rapid innovation and customised production on an unprecedented scale.
This week, experts from academia, industry and government gathered at the AM Conclave Conference, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre to talk about how Abu Dhabi could become a hub for additive manufacturing – the technical term for 3D printing - with many believing the technology could be the edge that the Emirate needs to become a manufacturing powerhouse.
"Progress is still quite slow at the moment, but there is huge potential. The leadership of the country is really pushing for it. You can see a lot of interest from the different entities in the country because it will help boost localised manufacturing, it will help the UAE to manufacture in the UAE with a new knowledge base," Dr. Nesma Aboulkhair, Director of Additive Manufacturing at the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi, told Aletihad on the sidelines of the conference on Thursday.
"We can set up people here to not just be users of the technology, but also adopters of the technology and innovators of the technology in the future as well. Some of the key sectors are space and defence that really benefit a lot from additive manufacturing because you can manufacture anywhere you want, close to the point of use. You don't have to wait to import the part from abroad. You can just print it in the country. And these are two sectors that are booming in the UAE, so the relevance is quite high."
Dr. Aboulkhair was headhunted from the UK during the pandemic where she was a professor at the University of Nottingham. She now leads a team of experts in Abu Dhabi who are working closely with industry to see an upscale in the utilisation of technology across six major sectors. She says this is in step with the major industrialisation strategies of the government, which include making the Emirate a major player in manufacturing by the 2030s.
She said that the precision of today's 3D printing tools means that Abu Dhabi could start manufacturing high-precision products, like limbs and bones for transplants onshore. Dr. Aboulkhair said the technological capability is already there but warned that only through a holistic uptake from all sectors of the economy would allow the UAE to gain the comparative advantage that would see it reap the rewards of leading the emerging industry.
She highlighted the work of Sindan, the first Emirati 3D printing centre of excellence inaugurated just last year, as an example of what progress in the field would look like in the UAE.
"The main challenges are the market resistance, we have the capabilities now. We are developing the know-how in the UAE, we have the IP in the UAE, but it's the market resistance for adoption of the technology that we are struggling with at the moment," she explained.
"So we need it to come from the government, to be a federal decision that we want to adopt additive manufacturing and then we work together so we see a wider adoption by the manufacturing in different sectors."
