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Although steps have been taken to improve sustainable practices in the construction industry, progress to date has been slow. Advances in 3D printing technology provide a significant opportunity to reconfigure construction industry supply chains to improve its sustainability credentials. This study investigates the adoption of 3D construction printing (3DCP) as a sustainable alternative and/or to augment traditional construction industry supply chains. By analysing six 3DCP organisations and feeding six critical insights into the Business Model Navigator, this study proposes three supply chain models i.e. generative construction service, hybrid service, and emergency service. A generative supply chain model can be used as an on-demand service for customers with limited knowledge of 3DCP. The hybrid model can integrate 3DCP with a traditional construction supply chain to construct part of the building. Finally, the emergency services model can be used to rapidly construct cost-effective housing (e.g for refugees). The adoption of 3D Printing using these supply chain models in housing construction supply chains has the potential to offer considerable benefits both for construction companies and end-users, while at the same time improving sustainability, affordability and productivity.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a key change driver for digital transformation. Although some manufacturing companies have deployed AM for selected customised and (mainly) low volume or niche parts (e.g. in the automobile and aerospace industries), uncertainty remains in terms of what business models are needed to integrate AM into their overall digital business strategy. This chapter provides an overview of what types of business models are emerging, using the example of the AM consulting services industry. This was chosen because consulting services firms have positioned themselves as a catalyst to enable companies to ensure they are on the right track in terms of digital transformation. The chapter concludes by describing current challenges and emerging future directions for the AM consulting services industry.
Pay-per-use (PPU) business models serve as a catalyst to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies across diverse industrial ‘as-a-service’ applications. This paper investigates opportunities and potential applications of PPU business models. It closes by proposing future PPU financing schemes and evaluating implementation risks and mitigation
strategies in AM ecosystems. By carrying out a focused literature review and examining the existing use cases, we apply the 4I framework to contextualise these findings within the realm of AM. We found considerable barriers to upscaling AM’s commercial applications that currently prevent wider adoption. The proposed PPU business models provide pathways to reducing these barriers by reducing financing obstacles, encouraging co-innovation across supply chains and leveraging AM’s capabilities to offer customised, on-demand manufacturing solutions on an ‘as-a-service’ basis. They facilitate recurring revenue streams and promote sustainable financing through enhanced resource efficiency and waste reduction. This research represents one of the initial forays into exploring viable PPU financing schemes for AM.