Accelerate³

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3D printing, also referred to within an industrial context as additive manufacturing, has taken off over the past few years. There are numerous 3D printing technologies, such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), digital light processing (DLP) and jetting. Thanks to these technologies, all kinds of products can be printed and (expensive and less sustainable) assembly is no longer required. There are only a limited number of polymer print materials for 3D printing available on the free market, however. There is an urgent need for further development of these materials. The necessity for bio-based polymers as a sustainable alternative is great. ‘Accelerate³’ therefore wants to bring together specific expertise from Limburg (NL), and West Flanders (B), to structurally pool the necessary knowledge and test infrastructure. The two regions are responsible for this sector and have a similar economic fabric consisting primarily of small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, they are confronted with similar challenges and are active in the same substantive domain, with complimentary specialisations. The cross-border collaboration between West Flanders and Limburg therefore provides the ideal opportunity for considerably expanding the knowledge, infrastructure and network in both regions. The cross-border pooling allows SMEs in the two regions to grow. Various sectors of material, production and software companies will benefit from ‘Accelerate³’.

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