Additive Manufacturing in 2040

Powerful Enabler, Disruptive Threat

Trevor Johnston, Troy D. Smith, J. Luke Irwin

Expert InsightsPublished May 8, 2018

Additive manufacturing (AM) — colloquially known as three-dimensional, or 3D, printing — is an emerging technology with potential local and international security implications in the near and long terms. This Perspective — part of a series examining critical security challenges in 2040 — offers a new framework for exploring the disruptive dimensions of AM technology, helping to inform which sectors and industries might be the most affected in the future. To better understand the security implications, a RAND research team briefly reviewed the existing literature, conducted interviews with stakeholders and subject-matter experts, and convened a workshop with technology and security experts. Two overarching security threats emerged: the proliferation of weapons and economic insecurity. This Perspective explores each of these security threats and offers a series of mitigation strategies and policy recommendations to help manage and regulate the negative impacts of this technology.

Topics

Document Details

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Johnston, Trevor, Troy D. Smith, and J. Luke Irwin, Additive Manufacturing in 2040: Powerful Enabler, Disruptive Threat, RAND Corporation, PE-283-RC, May 2018. As of September 16, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE283.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Johnston, Trevor, Troy D. Smith, and J. Luke Irwin, Additive Manufacturing in 2040: Powerful Enabler, Disruptive Threat. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2018. https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE283.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

This project is a RAND Venture. Funding was provided by gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations. The research was conducted by the Center for Global Risk and Security within International Programs of the RAND Corporation.

This publication is part of the RAND expert insights series. The expert insights series presents perspectives on timely policy issues.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.