In 2013 corporate VC yielded 3 times the number of patents per dollar invested than in-house R&D. This is not a single and exceptional observation, but rather the one that caught my attention and prompted me to look into what is being said about the performance of corporate venture funds. [Read more…]

3D printing, or in its industrial terminology, Additive Layered Manufacturing (ALM) is changing the manufacturing industry and rules of engineering design. The technology drivers are rapid and easy design and manufacture, enabling manufacture of complex structures, increasing use in medical applications and consumer driven demand. However, there are still considerable challenges to creating the factory of the future lined with ALM machines. Printing speeds of machines for industrial scale production are still low, design and set up of a factory using ALM tools requires development and consideration for best outcome, and most importantly the validation of materials/powders used in production. This is work in progress that requires considerable development effort. Finally creating a sustainable supply chain for the materials used in ALM is another challenge that needs to be overcome. [Read more…]