Oct. 7, 2014
While US computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP) is focusing on its PC and printing businesses, including 3D printing initiatives, Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics said it will not enter the 3D printer business in the next 10 years.
Last year, rumors had it that Samsung Electronics had received 3D printer prototype from its partner, and planned to launch a rebranded Samsung 3D printer. News agency Money Today said Samsung was either considering to produce 3D printers on its own or sell an OEM 3D printer. But Samsung Electronics denied the news report afterwards.
Earlier this year, Samsung Electronics opened key interactive Galaxy experiences at the Samsung booth, CES 2014. The company partnered with 3D Systems to showcase the possibilities of 3D printing for consumers. Samsung showed in a live demonstration how easy it might be for consumers to take their creative process one step further and render their designs in 3D. 3D Systems has developed an application that will allow Samsung Galaxy Note users to design and create special 3D printed coins which can then be inserted into specially design Galaxy Note cases and objects. But the catch is a concept designed for the CES 2014.
While quite a few companies are developing 3D printing technology with graphene, Samsung is also pouring money and R&D into graphene development. In April 2014 Samsung Electronics announced a breakthrough in the advance toward graphene commercialization by; "synthesizing large-area graphene into a single crystal on a semiconductor, while maintaining its electric and mechanical properties. By developing a method for growing a single crystal graphene into a large area, the researchers claim they could displace the tech industry's reliance on silicon."
But industry watchers predict that Samsung will not start any 3D printing business until the market has further matured. According to Business Korea, "Samsung Electronics is regarding 3D printers for domestic use as having very little marketability, and those for industrial use only limited applications in certain fields."
Samsung Electronics will focus on the A4 and A3 printer markets, as well as the development of mobile printers. However, experts warn that 'investment and competition in the early stage of market formation is likely to carry a series of strong side effects.' 3D printing technology is booming in South Korea. The number of Korean entrepreneurs and consumers using 3D printing or purchasing 3D printed objects has been rapidly growing. Last summer, the South Korean government had already revealed to be working on a ten-year strategy to promote the 3D printing industry, and the government intends to make the domestic 3D printing industry an economic growth sector and a source for jobs.
Analysts are projecting that this will continue to be the case: over the period 2013 to 2018, they expect the 3D printer market in South Korea to grow at a tremendous CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 29.7 percent.
Posted in 3D Printing Company
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