Creating value from additive manufacturing: An analysis of entrepreneurial firms along the value chain

J. Jakob Heinen, Kai Hoberg and Tim Schlaich

International Journal of Production Economics, 2024, vol. 269, issue C

Abstract: Many new ventures position themselves along the additive manufacturing (AM) value chain to benefit from the quickly maturing technology. Yet, their business models and sources of value creation are largely unidentified. We compile a unique dataset with 160 entrepreneurial AM-firms using a leading crowd-sourced database and organize the data in a card file system. We code the data along multiple dimensions and apply a Latent Class Analysis to identify unique segments of firms that focus on different complementary activities along the AM value chain. By using the NICE framework, we additionally reveal the value creation mechanisms of each identified class. We identify four unique segments of AM-firms that focus on different complementary activities: (i) hardware providers, (ii) software and data experts, (iii) full-service providers, and (iv) manufacturing orchestrators. While a lot of value creation across these segments is currently still driven by novelty and innovation, AM-firms also introduce lock-in and complementary products and services to capture value beyond production. In characterizing value chain structures, we outline how firms can position themselves in this emerging industry.

Keywords: Additive manufacturing; 3D printing; NICE-Framework; Value creation; Entrepreneurial firms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925527324000033
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:proeco:v:269:y:2024:i:c:s0925527324000033

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpe.2024.109146

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Production Economics is currently edited by Stefan Minner

More articles in International Journal of Production Economics from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().