The challenge

The Vanguard Initiative’s 3D-Printing (3DP) Pilot was launched to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) across Europe. Despite strong industrial potential, 3DP applications faced fragmentation across regions, uneven access to expertise, and slow market uptake beyond the prototyping stage (TRL5+). 26 EU regions committed at the highest political level to better align their smart specialization strategies and industrial capabilities, focusing on advanced manufacturing. The challenge was to coordinate a large, multi-regional network and enable companies to implement joint demonstration projects that deliver tangible industrial impact.

Approach & results

IDEA Consult’s Role: Network Manager & Strategic Coordinator

• Network Coordination
  • Selected by the lead regions (South Netherlands, Flanders, Norte) to manage the 3DP Pilot network.
  • Coordinates more than 25 regional innovation ecosystems and over 600 active members, connecting industry, research centres, clusters, and policy actors (“quadruple helix”).
  • Organizes regular multi-stakeholder meetings and events, including 3DP Business Innovators Meetings and cross-regional workshops.
• Strategic Project Development
  • Identifies opportunities for joint demonstration projects in sectors such as automotive, machinery, textiles, creative industries, embedded electronics, and healthcare.
  • Supports portfolio of strategic demo cases from design to operational engagement, ensuring post-prototyping projects generate private investment and market uptake.
  • Maps regional capabilities and complementarities to maximize interregional collaboration.
• Programmatic Innovation Support
  • Facilitates integrated innovation approaches, linking technological development, funding instruments, and ecosystem support.
  • Supports deployment of H2020/HE innovation actions, training programmes (e.g., LILIAM), and interregional investment initiatives (e.g., 3DOP).
  • Contributes to the access to structural funding mechanisms such as the EC Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) and Vanguard’s VInnovate funding.
• Impact & Results
  • Enabled companies to implement strategic 3DP solutions, improve industrial processes, and adopt advanced AM technologies, in shared territorial priorities.
  • Strengthened interregional collaboration and reduced fragmentation in EU additive manufacturing ecosystems.
  • Built structural tools to support SMEs in scaling internationally, including online matchmaking (the Gateway) and pilot-specific advisory services.

The VI 3DP Pilot has evolved into a sustainable, long-term program connecting more than 25 regional ecosystems, enabling over 350 organizations to collaborate on market-ready 3DP projects, and directly contributing to Europe’s industrial competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience.