While touring the China Pavilion at Paris VivaTech, Europe’s biggest tech fair, Chinese ambassador to France Deng Li’s attention was drawn not only to the flashy robot dogs and humanoids, but also to a less eye-catching exhibit: a display of metal parts produced by specialised 3D printers.
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“To make something so complicated, 3D printing really saves a lot of trouble compared to traditional production methods,” Deng told his entourage, expressing his amazement at how a printer could produce complex metal parts in a single run.
The company behind the display, XDM 3D Printing Technology, is among a growing number of Chinese companies eyeing the European 3D printing market – particularly as the United States becomes increasingly restrictive.
“We’re positive about the European market,” said Zhang Zhengwen, the company’s founder, in an interview with the Post on Wednesday.
Established in 2015, XDM entered the European market in 2019. The pandemic disrupted its expansion, and it currently has only a few customers in Europe – but Zhang said he was confident about the future.
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“European companies will have to integrate 3D printing into their production sooner or later. There will be a massive need,” he said.