Looking back on a successful first edition of the 3D Delta Week

From 20 to 24 June, the first edition of 3D Delta Week took place. Founding partners Brainport Eindhoven, Flam3D and Jakajima look back on a successful first edition. In the light of disrupted supply chains, shortages in materials, components, labor, and even energy, the event week brought the community together and provided the vibe to jointly take the lead in the transition of manufacturing. 

By gathering various events in different places in the Netherlands and Flanders into one central week, visitors were able to experience that the Benelux area (“the Delta”) is a top region in terms of 3D Manufacturing. With twelve events, from Westerbork to Leuven, various articles in the press and a lot of attendees, the 3D Delta Week has the potential to position the region as a global leading hub. One thing is certain: there will follow a second edition.

Learn, network, and explore

Learn, network, and explore. That was the concept and purpose of 3D Delta Week. Participants never had to travel far to join the various activities on 3D Manufacturing and could create their own personal agenda out of a well-filled program of a dozen activities. There were events on R&D but also on applications of 3D manufacturing, the role of Additive Manufacturing in health or in tackling climate change and you could both visit the pioneer of the 3D printing industry and network on a European level.

All this was made possible at conferences, trade fairs, master classes, networking events, open houses, dinners and more from 3D Makers Zone, Binder3D, Brainport Eindhoven, Flam3D, Jakajima, Landré, Materialise, Mikrocentrum (3D Production Days) and Vanguard Initiative. The different events during the week each attracted a great number of visitors, but also ensured a degree of reciprocal crossover of visitors.

During the dinner a special act by Dutch cabaret artist Pieter de Rijk was performed and Materialise CEO Fried Vancraen and Design8 CEO Orlando Sardaro underlined the importance of 3D Delta Week by explaining why their companies became ambassador sponsors of the event week. By committing to the 3D Delta Week platform, they align with the positive and important message of the week: “I stand behind the idea of joining forces, of gathering ecosystems to contribute to a healthy global economy.”

Collaboration is the way to go

Collaboration. That is the key word that manifested itself clearly during 3D Delta Week. If we want to help the 3D Manufacturing sector grow and bring it to the national and, certainly, international attention, we have to rely on that one word. That was the consensus of several visitors to the week. Materialise CEO Fried Vancraen stated: “3D printing is so complicated and multi-faceted that we all need to work together, connect and share expertise.” That’s exactly why 3D Delta Week was created: To facilitate collaboration and operate together to showcase this leading 3D production region.

“After all, the Benelux area (the Delta) is a top region in terms of 3D production, with a myriad of academic and applied research centres, a particularly high number of 3D-printers and numerous promising start-ups and established enterprises. On the user side, the region boasts a multitude of application areas – all in all, an extremely versatile and high-quality ecosystem”, adds Ruben Fokkema of Brainport Eindhoven.