3D printing and the geography of production

This paper explores the impact of 3D printing (3DP), a technology popularly described as being able to “produce (almost) anything from anywhere”, on the spatial organization of production. Although some scholars have theorized that 3DP may affect the location of manufacturing, empirical evidence on its implications for the spatial footprint of production activities remains limited. This study investigates how 3DP adoption, together with pre-existing local capabilities, is associated with the export performance of countries in terms of 3D-printable products. Using trade data and exploiting a recent change in the Harmonized System classification, we identify 3DP adopting countries and analyze the relationship between 3DP adoption, pre-existing specializations and export outcomes. Our findings suggest that countries not previously specialized in a product but that adopted 3DP technologies tend to catch up with, and in some cases overtake, previously specialized countries, a result compatible with the idea of a shifting geography of production. We further examine the heterogeneity across product types and levels of complexity. This paper contributes to the literature by conceptually framing the spatial implications of 3DP, leveraging a novel empirical approach to capture 3DP adoption, and providing new empirical insights on the relation between 3DP and export performance. • We analyze how 3D printing is associated with changes in the global geography of production. • This paper proposes a new approach to capture 3D printing adoption using trade data. • We find that adopting countries tend to catch up with previously specialized countries. • 3D printing's spatial impacts vary across industries and product complexity levels.