Society of Plastics Engineers Acquires 3Dnatives, Expands Additive Manufacturing Expertise 

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has acquired 3Dnatives, a French company that produces a media platform and international events for professionals in 3D printing, additive manufacturing (AM) and their related market applications.

Industrial 3D printing currently only accounts for about 0.1% of the $12.8 trillion global manufacturing economy, but it’s growing rapidly, according to SPE. The AM market is expected to reach $107.7 billion by 2031, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.9%.

“There is a natural similarity between the work of SPE and of 3Dnatives,” Patrick Farrey, SPE’s CEO, says. “Both publish the most up-to-date technical information for professionals in the plastics and additive manufacturing industries. Joining with 3Dnatives expands SPE’s expertise in these growing markets and gives our members unprecedented access to the science and technologies they need to know.”

3Dnatives global presence will also broaden SPE’s worldwide reach, through daily industry news and distinct market-specific platforms produced in five native languages — French, German, English, Spanish and Italian. Every month, over 1.2 million professionals are said to visit 3Dnatives for its 3D printing equipment comparison engine, original articles, technical guides, product reviews, job board, business directory and more — each in the users’ native language.

3Dnatives, under its “ADDITIV” brand, also produces online and in-person events dedicated to 3D printing and its applications. This year’s events will focus on AM in the medical, automotive and aerospace sectors. The company’s recent events included over 200 expert speakers from top-tier companies (such as L’Oréal, Audi, NASA, Boeing, etc.) and more than 15,000 attendees overall.

“3Dnatives has found a great partner in SPE,” Alexandre Martel, CEO and founder of 3Dnatives, adds. “SPE’s well-established leadership in producing technical information for plastics and manufacturing professionals will be a great asset, as 3Dnatives continues to serve more than six million 3D printing and AM professionals across the globe every year. Together, we look forward to reaching even more markets, with original content produced specifically for each country in their native language.”

The companies will maintain offices in the U.S., Brussels and Paris. Terms of the transaction were not released.