3D Printing and Other Innovations: Will You be a Winner or a Loser?

History is full of examples of new inventions, technologies and social trends having a fundamental impact on both business and society. Consider the impact of the printing press, the railway system or more recently the internet, email and social media…

Genuine innovations will often change the way that business is done and society behaves and there are usually big opportunities for those that respond quickly. But there are also significant risks for those that fail to acknowledge and react to the changes taking place – so there will always be winners and losers. For example, before the advent of digital cameras, Kodak and Polariod were clear market leaders while Samsung and Sony were not even in the photography sector.

At BSK, we’re focused on preparing businesses for tomorrow, connecting them to information and opportunities and inspiring them to leverage new developments to prosper and grow. To support this ambition, we are introducing an important new element to Kent 2020 Vision LIVE 2013: the Tomorrow’s Business Showcase. This exciting feature will bring together a range of emerging trends and technologies that will have a major impact on business over the coming years.

A great example that typifies this area is 3D printing. Whilst ‘additive manufacturing’ and ‘rapid prototyping’ have been around for many years, recent advances in hardware and software have dramatically increased accessibility and hence the buzz around this (potentially) hugely disruptive technology. Basic 3D printers, already capable of ‘printing’ usable washing machine spares downloaded from the internet, can be bought for hundreds rather than thousands of pounds. And 3D-modelling software, which  used to be prohibitively expensive and require intensivee specialist training, can now be found free of charge on the web – becoming increasingly intuitive and easy to use (although it still requires time to master!)

At the other end of the scale, cutting-edge 3D systems are printing with new materials which increase the technique’s potential. Metals of course, but also organic materials and cells which open up a whole range of new applications

It is predicted that while only 20% of 3D printed outputs are currently end products, by the year 2020 this will have grown to 50%. And it’s widely believed that at some stage in the future we will be downloading and printing our new mobile phone and any number of other complex products on our desktop. So there’s no doubt that 3D printing will have a significant impact on business, with its impact on distribution, manufacturing and design possibly just the tip of the iceberg. There are also some major challenges starting to emerge – such as the protection of intellectual property rights when physical products become as easily piratable as digital music – together with some serious security implications… US-based Defence Distributed has already produced operational machine gun parts on a 3D printer, triggering furious activity in the US Government as they attempt to legislate to stop the activity.

This is just one of the exciting developments featured in the Tomorrow’s Business Showcase at Kent 2020 Vision LIVE on 25th April, where you will also be able to find out about the business potential offered by:

• 3D printing
• Augmented Reality
• The Sharing Economy
• Big Data
• Crowd Funding
• The Internet of Things
• Social Business
• The Evolution of Social Media
• Anywhere Working

PLUS: Join us at 1pm in the Clive Emson building, where the showcase is being held, to attend our keynote on the subject of future technologies and business from ex Tomorrow’s World and current Bang Goes the Theory presenter, Maggie Philbin.

This has to make Kent 2020 Vision LIVE an event not to be missed, especially when combined with over 300 exhibitors and a comprehensive programme of additional workshops & presentations throughout the day.

DON’T MISS OUT: Avoid the queues by registering for your free place online at www.kent2020.co.uk.