UK Additive Manufacturing: turning research strength into industrial growth

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Text: Joshua Dugdale

The UK has many of the ingredients required to become a leading Additive Manufacturing nation. Its universities, research centres and manufacturers have built a strong base of academic and technical knowledge and generated a significant share of the global intellectual property associated with the technology. The challenge for the UK is converting that work into products, production capacity and profitable businesses.

The global AM market was valued at approximately $21.9 billion in 2024 (Wohlers Report 2025), with the UK market estimated to be worth between $650 million and $940 million, representing 3% to 4.3% of global activity for that same period. This is below the UK’s estimated 6.9% share in 2015 and suggests that other countries have adopted and expanded their capabilities at a much faster rate.

UK organisations in general have faced a difficult trading environment over the last few years. High inflation, interest rates and energy prices coupled with poor access to skills and uncertainty over our supply chain and trading relationship with the EU following Brexit have created a lot of uncertainty, which in turn has affected demand in capital investment, with AM machinery suppliers reporting particularly challenging conditions. There were signs of a recovery at the start of 2026, but rebuilding the UK’s position will require sustained effort and investment and a clearer route from research to industrial adoption.

However, despite the tough operating and economic environment, research and development is one of the UK’s current strengths, with over £650 million of public funding being spent over the last decade to establish a strong base. The UK ranks fourth globally for AM-related intellectual property generation and has maintained a share of around 4% of worldwide patent family applications in recent years. However, the pipeline underpinning future innovation has weakened considerably in recent times. UK public research and development funding for Additive Manufacturing for the period from September 2024 to August 2025 was only £17 million, compared to £81 million for the period from September 2023 to August 2024. This huge reduction will have a significant impact on the level of intellectual property generated in the UK in the area of Additive Manufacturing.

This reduction comes as other countries, including the United States and China, are supporting the industrial deployment of the technology as part of wider manufacturing strategies. Currently, 17% of UK organisations use Additive Manufacturing technology as part of their processes. For many smaller companies, the initial cost, uncertainty over returns and lack of in-house knowledge make it difficult to move beyond a first trial. Businesses also struggle to qualify components, find relevant technical support or obtain funding for the later stages of development and deployment.