After 3 Come All Things New 3D Printing：the Engine of the Third Industrial Revolution

In　August　of　2013，the　author　of　this　book　Li　Xuhong,　along　with　the　China　Youth　Delegation,　participated　in　the“Training　Program　for　Young　Leaders'Innovation＆Development　in　Public　Management”co-sponsored　by　the　International　Youth　Exchange　Center　and　Boston　University.　He　earnestly　studied　the　effective　innovation　mechanism　in　the　U.S.and　came　to　know　a　lot　of　new　cases,　fresh　thinking,　innovative　approaches　and　different　experiences　through　visiting　the　America's　most　famous　3D　systems　company　located　in　the　Boston　suburb　and　communicating　with　the　enterprise　managers　and　Boston　University　professors.Mr.Li　was　deeply　impressed　by　this　great　and　imaginative　3D　printing　technology　and　its　rapid　development.After　returning　home,　through　systematically　collecting　and　analyzing　the　domestic　and　international　data　and　literature,　he　had　gradually　acquired　the　knowledge　about　technical　features　of　3D　printing,　the　status　quo　and　its　internal　and　external　state　of　development.Besides,　he　had　built　an　interdisciplinary　research　team　mainly　consisted　of　post-doctors　and　doctors　from　China's　top　universities,　launching　a　professional　research　team　on　3D　printing　technology　and　its　related　areas　such　as　industrial　prospect　strategic　impact　andpolicy　setting.With　more　than　six-month　efforts,　the　research　team　accomplished　this　book,　entitled"3D　Printing：the　Engine　of　the　Third　Industrial　Revolution"（name　to-be-confrmed）.

On　June　3，2014，Xi　Jinping,　the　Chinese　President,　pointed　out　in　a　keynote　speech　at　the　2014　International　Conference　of　Engineering＆Technology，"Innovation　of　science　and　technology　can　generate　an　industry,　imposing　a　great　influence　upon　and　even　changing　the　world."3D　printing　technology,　formally　known　as“additive　manufacturing”，is　the　very　innovation　driven　by　commercial　development.　The＆nbsp；innovation　in　3D　has　witnessed　an　increasing　development.Such　innovation　is　now　widely　applied　in　the　domains　such　as　jewelry,　footwear,　industrial　design,　architecture,　engineering　and　construction（AEC），automobile,　aerospace,　dental　and　medical　industry,　education,　geographic　information　system,　civil　engineering　and　military　affairs.According　to　the　estimation　made　by　the　U.S.Department　of　Energy,　the　mode　of　additive　manufacturing　will　save　over　50%of　energy　than　the　existing　mode　of　cutting-material　manufacturing　which　relies　on　employing　machine　tools,　accordingly　replacing　the　existing　mode　and　profoundly　infuencing　the　future　of　the　manufacturing　sector　as　a　new　economic　engine.So　far,　America　and　Europe　are　taking　the　lead　in　the　development　and　application　of　3D　printing　technology.As　for　China,　researches　on　the　3D　printing　technology　should　be　given　the　deserved　attention　and　carried　out　immediately　as　a　national　strategy.We　believe　that,　with　the　advent　of　the　third　industrial　revolution,　the　3D　printing　technology　has　the　potential　to　be　the　engine　of　the　coming　industrial　revolution.

The　Chinese　society　has　raised　an　increasing　interest　in　the　3D　printing,　with　some　people　beginning　to　invest　in　it　and　scholars　paying　close　attention　to　it.　However,　the　current　domestic　and　overseas　literatures　are　generally　about　the　introduction　and　analysis　of　the　3D　printing　technology,　lacking　in　research　on　its　industrial　application,　the　national　strategy,　industrial　policy　and　relevant　laws　and　regulations.China,　however,　remains　in　the　initial　stage　of　introducing　and　experiencing　a　new　technology,　without　analysis　of　its　industrial　prospect　and　its　impact　on　different　enterprises,　manufacturing　sector,　consumer　market,　logistic　system　and　exportation,　letting　alone　conducting　research　from　the　perspective　of　national　strategy,　industrial　policy　and　legal　matters.

What　does　3D　printing　technology　and　industry　mean　to　the　individuals？Will　it　change　people's　life？What　impacts　does　it　have　upon　China？Will　it　be　a　destructive　strike　to　domestic　manufacturing　sector？Won't　the　development　of　3D　printing＆nbsp；technology　in　Europe　and　the　U.　S.lead　to　a　multinational　companies'return,　which　will　signifcantly　reduce　the　import　of　manufacturing　products　from　China？Shouldn't　the　3D　printing　technology　be　regarded　as　a　national　development　strategy？Will　it　offer　opportunities　or　pose　challenges　to　Chinese　enterprises（especially　science　and　technology　enterprises）and　the　local　governments？What　preparations　should　be　made　for　Chinese　central　government,　enterprises　and　local　governments？What　is　the　foundation　for　domestic　development　of　the　3D　printing　industry？What　achievements　have　been　made？In　the　future　3D　printing　industry　system,　what　roles　will　China　play　and　what　position　shall　we　try　to　take？What　is　the　industrial　advantage　owned　by　us？What　policies　are　needed　to　support　development　of　the　3D　printing　industry,　and　what　legal　matters　should　be　resolved？

The　series　of　questions　mentioned　above　will　be　discussed　in　this　book　which　may　be　the　first　works　on　the　3D　printing　technology　to　the　global　extend,　attributed　by　some　idealistic,　thoughtful,　intelligent　and　brave　young　experts　from　the　world's　second　largest　economy—China.

The　authors　of　this　book　make　their　respective　contributions　as　the　following.　Li　Xuhong　and　Zhang　Yongsheng　are　responsible　for　the　theme　planning,　program　design,　general　compilation　and　preface；Yu　Zhuang,　Yan　Lili,　Xiao　Xun　and　Zhang　Dan　for　the　frst　chapter；Zhang　Jianlun,　Dang　Ruina　and　Liu　Hong　for　the　second　chapter；Zhang　Yongsheng,　Li　Jinheng,　Xu　Qian　and　Zhang　Wei　for　the　third　chapter；Li　Xuhong,　Chen　Yantai,　Zhang　Dan,　Zhu　Jing　and　Liu　Jiangtao　for　the　fourth　chapter,　and　Tian　Huimin,　Liu　Jiang,　Deng　Xiaoou,　He　Rui　and　Zhai　Jiguang　for　the　ffth　chapter.

China　is　entering　a　critical　period　of　economic　growth-mode　transforming.　We　have　fnished　our　research　with　a　sense　of　duty　and　enthusiasm,　expecting　to　play　a　role　in　national　and　industrial　development,　provide　reference　for　people　from　all　works　of　life　and　contribute　to　technology　advancement　and　the　well-being　of　the　whole　world.

The　writing　group　members

The　group　leaders：

Li　Xuhong（Ministry　of　Finance,　Guanghua　School　of　Management,　Peking　University）

Zhang　Yongsheng（Guanghua　School　of　Management,　Peking　University）

Members（in　the　alphabetical　order）：

Chen　Yantai（Zhejiang　University　of　Technology）

Dang　Ruina（School　of　Mechanical　Engineering　of　Tsinghua　University）

Deng　Xiaoou（EMBA　of　China　Europe　International　Business　School,　Ji'nan　deca　Machine　Co.，Ltd.）

Fu　Shuaixiong（Guanghua　School　of　Management,　Peking　University）

He　Rui（Ji'nan　Deca　Machine　Co.，Ltd.）

Li　Jinheng（National　Patent　Offce）

Liu　Jiang（Beijing　Wuzi　University）

Liu　Hong（Adam　Smith　Business　School,　University　of　Glasgow）

Liu　Jiangtao（Guanghua　School　of　Management,　Peking　University）

Tian　Huimin（China　Development　Bank）

Xiao　Xun（College　of　Agriculture　and　Rural　Development　of　Renmin　University　of　China）

Xu　Qian（Guanghua　School　of　Management　of　Peking　University）

Yan　Lili（Guanghua　School　of　Management　of　Peking　University）

Yu　Zhuang（China　Development　Bank）

Zhai　Jiguang（College　of　Civil　Law　and　Commercial　Law　of　China　University　of　Political　Science　and　Law）

Zhang　Dan（College　of　Agriculture　and　Rural　Development　of　Renmin　University　of　China）

Zhang　Jianlun（Ministry　of　Industry　and　Information　Technology）

Zhang　Wei（Chief　Correspondent　of　United　Nations　Bureau,　Economic　Daily）

Zhu　Jing（Economic　Daily）