The recent months have proven out the essential role of digitalization in all industries. At the manufacturing level, it’s been a few years now that the issue has come through the pipeline. However, as the need of relocating manufacturing is currently a global issue, it’s time to understand and overcome the challenges raised by digitalization in the effective implementation of this business model.

Andreas Langfeld joined Stratasys in 2009 and gained a deep insight into the additive manufacturing industry. The understanding of customer needs and customer use cases has evolved to the highest priority and biggest asset of Stratasys which has the largest Installed Base within the 3D Printing market. Translating this knowledge into increased adoption of 3D Printing with a high level of customer satisfaction via a team of highly skilled professionals in sales, marketing, customer support and across the organization is part of the key focus areas in the current position as President EMEA. Andreas Langfeld was appointed President EMEA of Stratasys in autumn 2018. He previously served as General Manager MakerBot EMEA, as well as VP Finance & Operation at Stratasys.

Pieter Ruijssenaars is COO and Co-Founder of DiManEx. He has two decades of experience in strategic and commercial roles as well as change management. DiManEx re-invents your supply chain with flexible, on-demand manufacturing. The company’s end-to-end platform enables you to identify the right parts for Additive Manufacturing, digitize your inventory and print parts on demand through a network of industrial-quality facilities. At DiManEx, Pieter works closely with the product team to deliver added value to customers through innovative solutions. Prior to joining DiManEx, he worked at companies like Dutch Railways (NS) and Vodafone, and set up his own new ventures in the online domain.

The increasing need for replacement parts raises one single question: how to achieve maximum output with the smallest effort? Interestingly, the answer might require the input of various stakeholders.

Investing in an AM technology is the first step in a journey towards a true understanding of how technology can transform a business. To achieve such an investment, especially in the current economical context, several considerations should be taken into account.

Sustainability took a certain amount of time before it comes through the pipeline, but it has now, and there are hundreds of questions and challenges to address by both AM users and players

Sherry Handel is the Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA), a new non-profit trade group founded to promote the environmental benefits of additive manufacturing within key industries and the general public. Ms. Handel is an award-winning leader focused on making a meaningful impact through non-profit management, entrepreneurship, and volunteering. She has board-level experience scaling non-profits in the sustainability and tech startup education & training sectors. Ms. Handel is the Co-Founder and previous Chief Operating Officer of Energy Harvesters LLC, a clean-tech startup developing the Walking ChargerTM, a patented device that charges smartphones and other mobile device batteries as the user walks. Ms. Handel earned a BS in Business Administration from Northeastern University and has studied sustainability at the University of Vermont and Boston Architectural College.

Erik De Zeeuw has 18 years of experience in the world of (additive) manufacturing with a focus on product development and certified industrial end-use applications for various industries. As a CSR ambassador and certified ISO 14001 auditor he has gained insight in the environmental impact, challenges and opportunities of additive manufacturing supply chains.