Material efficient supply chains through decentralised Additive Manufacturing for the Swedish export industry
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB - RISE |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 1 067 000 |
| Project duration | October 2023 - October 2024 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Circular and biobased economy |
| Call | Increased resource efficiency, industry funding to a circular economy |
Important results from the project
The MATER-AM project has worked towards resource-efficient and resilient supply chains by exploring additive manufacturing and decentralized supply chain models. The project conducted case studies with three Swedish export companiesEricsson, Volvo AB, and Alfa Lavalwhich demonstrate that additive manufacturing can enhance sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness by reducing CO2 emissions, shortening lead times, and lowering inventory levels.
Expected long term effects
The project’s case studies show that decentralized additive manufacturing can significantly improve supply chains by achieving: 88-99% reduction in transport-related CO2 emissions, 75-93% shorter lead times, 58-75% lower costs for inventory and capital commitment. These impacts highlight additive manufacturing’s potential for widespread application and implementation across multiple industries and sectors, supporting more sustainable and efficient production practices.
Approach and implementation
The project was organized into four work packages: WP1: Project management, communication, and dissemination of results. WP2: Comparison of existing and decentralized supply chains Activities: Component identification, analysis of current supply chains, and comparison with decentralized additive manufacturing. Deliverables: Process descriptions, value calculations, and legal impact assessments. WP3: Digitalization of material-efficient chains Activities: Development of a prototype for component selection. Deliverable: Prototype. WP4: Planning for next step.