Future scenarios of additive manufacturing in consideration with Responsible Research and Innovation

Additive manufacturing (AM) will become a key enabler in high value manufacturing. The innovation value chains are very dynamic in AM. There is a strong link to digitalization especially regarding data for construction plans. The innovation phase is characterized by strong interlinkage between data provider, software engineers, AM machine engineers, powder producers. In the IAMRRI EU project innovation value chains are investigated. The IAMRRI project deals especially with the impact of such technologies on a broader scale. What might be the consequences of AM innovations? For defining this scope IAMRRI has also worked out future scenarios. The frame for such scenarios is not only the technological capabilities but also the societal, economic, and policy perspectives. The scenarios were developed in stakeholder workshops. This contribution outlines these four different future scenarios for AM and its relation to responsible research and innovation (RRI) and delineates consequences out of these scenarios.