IMAST, the Italian High Tech District on engineering of polymeric, composites and structures organizes the Opening conference of the AMTECH cross-border cooperation project “Industrial 3D-printing: challenges and opportunities in the IPA area”. 

The initiative is aimed to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in the development of more sustainable and convenient products by introducing innovative Additive Manufacturing technologies, even in traditional sectors.
The event will be held on July 2nd, 2024 at Polytechnic University of Bari “Sala Videoconferenze” - Rettorato, located at Via Amendola n. 126/b – Bari. 

Additive Manufacturing (AM) represents a key enabling technology for the future of the economy of the European Union and in the recent years it has gained considerable interest both from industry and academia. There are several reasons behind the success of AM, for example the capacity of rapid prototyping, the possibility of extensive product customization and the notable minimization of waste. Furthermore, the reduced capital cost required by the AM has the potential to lower the barriers to entry into the market for new products, a critical factor for SMEs. Given this, through the improvement of technological and professional skills, SMEs of the programme area (Albania, Italy and Montenegro) could increase their level of competitiveness. 

To this end, in the frame of the AMTECH project, several initiatives will be implemented, including training courses, aimed at providing an introduction to participants on the potential of AM, encouraging the exchange of stimulating ideas and creating highly specialized industrial networks. Ultimately, over 100 people, entrepreneurs, academics and professionals will be involved with the aim of conducting thematic discussions and exchanging knowledge to increase the penetration of AM in the programme area. By acquiring new technologies, SMEs will be able to improve current products or identify new ones, with the aim of opening new market prospectives.