Quick Summary
Additional Context
The Philippines offers an interesting case study in how 3D printing can develop in Southeast Asia, and Manila-based 3D2GO helps illustrate it.
3D printing in Southeast Asia doesn’t have to start with “selling equipment,” nor does it have to begin with large-scale industrial manufacturing. Instead, it can start with services closer to consumers—such as design, scanning, modeling, customization, cultural and creative products, and rapid prototyping. This is the model 3D2GO has built in the Philippines. What I find most interesting about the company is not how many 3D printers it has, but how it has turned 3D printing into a broader service-based business.
More Than a 3D Printing Service
3D2GO doesn’t operate as a print shop where customers provide an STL file and receive a printed part. I