What Happened
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and HP have announced a new collaboration aimed at supporting the growth of additive manufacturing in the UK. According to a 3D Printing Industry article published on November 17, 2025, this partnership focuses on leveraging HP’s expertise in additive manufacturing technologies alongside MTC’s innovation capabilities to accelerate industrial adoption.
Why It Matters
This collaboration is significant because it addresses key challenges in scaling up additive manufacturing within the UK, particularly emphasizing collaborative printing approaches. Collaborative printing, which involves multiple printers or robotic agents working in concert, promises to improve production speed, flexibility, and part complexity. By combining MTC’s research and development infrastructure with HP’s advanced printing technologies, the partnership aims to push the boundaries of swarm and collaborative printing, a relatively under-covered but transformative area in 3D printing.
Technical Context
Collaborative printing refers to the coordinated operation of multiple additive manufacturing units that work simultaneously on parts or assemblies. This can include swarm robotics, distributed printing networks, or multi-head printers that share workloads. The technology potentially reduces bottlenecks in production lines, enables on-demand manufacturing, and increases customization capabilities. HP’s established Multi Jet Fusion technology, known for its speed and material properties, combined with MTC’s expertise in system integration and automation, creates a fertile environment for advancing collaborative printing methods.
However, challenges remain in synchronizing hardware and software across multiple devices, ensuring quality consistency, and developing scalable workflows. The collaboration likely focuses on overcoming these technical barriers through joint R&D efforts, pilot projects, and industry partnerships.
Near-term Prediction Model
Given the current state of additive manufacturing and the novelty of large-scale collaborative printing deployments, the partnership is expected to progress from pilot demonstrations toward commercial applications within the next 18-24 months. The impact on UK manufacturing competitiveness could be substantial if successful, fostering more resilient and flexible supply chains.
What to Watch
- Announcements of pilot projects or demonstrators showcasing multi-printer coordination.
- Development of software platforms or protocols enabling seamless collaboration between print units.
- Expansion of the partnership to include other UK industry players or government support programs.
- Progress in material innovations that support collaborative printing processes.
- Case studies of production speed improvements or cost reductions enabled by swarm printing.