DEVELOPMENT OF 3D PRINTING BUSINESS MODEL IN CHINA

3D printing is an industrial revolution that brought revolutionary advancement in the manufacturing sector. China is leading in the traditional manufacturing sector, but the disruptive technology of additive manufacturing has provided developed economies with an opportunity to leapfrog to the front. Thus there is a need for a comprehensive business model for the 3D printing industry of China. The explorative study extensively reviews the existing literature on 3D printing and business model. The methodology is based on qualitative research design, and snowball sampling technique is used for data collection. In-depth recorded interviews were conducted from 5 enterprises operating in the 3D printing cluster of Weinan Science Park, China. In order to examine and record patterns within the qualitative data, the study executes various analysis tools such as thematic analysis, word frequency query, text search query, word tree and group query. Research findings suggest that business model for 3D printing industry consists of six internal components, namely financial, marketing, technological, competitive advantages, corporate social responsibility, and supply chain, while government support, R D, and globalization constitute external components.