The European challenge 3DoP – Optimisation of Manufacturing by 3D Printing has formally launched its second Open Name, inviting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to discover a brand new horizon of innovation in additive manufacturing. Co-funded by the European Fee via the Interregional Innovation Investments Instrument (I3), 3DoP is a collaborative initiative to spice up industrial progress and technological development throughout European macro-regions. With a community of 33 companions, the challenge presents entry to cutting-edge 3D printing applied sciences, strategic providers, and collaborative alternatives to assist SMEs take a look at, validate, and convey their improvements to market.
This Open Name is open till 8 September 2025 and targets firms wanting to develop or commercialize revolutionary merchandise or processes utilizing 3D printing. By way of this name, collaborating SMEs can entry high-level technical infrastructure, skilled steering, and personalised consulting—all solely freed from cost. The initiative is structured to assist companies in numerous levels of technological readiness, significantly serving to them transfer from a Know-how Readiness Degree (TRL) of 6–7 to TRL 9, the edge for market entry.
On the coronary heart of the decision lies a three-strand construction, every designed to deal with particular wants. The primary strand focuses on answer house owners seeking to overcome technological challenges. SMEs are invited to work with these answer house owners to co-develop or full applied sciences that aren’t but market-ready. This pathway contains not solely collaborative R&D but in addition entry to a broad portfolio of technical and non-technical providers. The second strand facilities on testing and validation. Right here, firms can trial their improvements in superior laboratories throughout the EU and obtain extra non-technical assist to refine and place their choices. The third strand presents direct non-technical assist, comparable to teaching, funding recommendation, enterprise improvement help, and market readiness coaching.
Chosen SMEs will profit from specialised mentoring, bespoke consultancy, and devoted providers supplied by skilled companions throughout the continent. This can assist them cut back the dangers and prices related to technological adoption and supply a novel gateway into new markets and funding channels. As well as, the challenge goals to facilitate long-term collaboration, encouraging the formation of sustainable partnerships via real-world testing and co-creation.
The appliance course of is simple and performed on a rolling foundation, which means submissions are evaluated as they arrive. firms can apply any time between 8 April 2025 and eight September 2025, and the “first in – first chosen” criterion ensures well timed processing of proposals. Eligible candidates should be SMEs legally established in EU Member States, EEA international locations, or related nations, and the proposed tasks should contain utilizing 3DoP’s additive manufacturing providers and applied sciences.
The broader imaginative and prescient of 3DoP goes past simply particular person innovation. The challenge is actively constructing a framework for built-in innovation ecosystems and sustainable funding chains that may assist the European manufacturing sector for years. In its first two years, 3DoP centered on advancing metallic 3D printing, together with growing good molds with embedded electronics and enhanced automation methods. Now, with the launch of this second name, these developments are being made obtainable to SMEs throughout Europe, marking a big step towards industrial deployment and industrial affect.
Extra data, together with the appliance kind and repair portfolio, might be discovered on the official 3DoP portal: https://www.3dop.eu/open-call/.
