BASF Invests $25M in Belgian 3D Printing Technology FirmBASF Invests $25M in Belgian 3D Printing Technology Firm

German chemicals and materials firm BASF is investing $25 million in Leuven, Belgium-based 3D printing technology supplier Materialise and furthering a cooperation agreement with the company to advance development of additive manufacturing materials and applications for the consumer goods, aviation, and automotive industries, a joint press release announced Thursday. 

“Our two companies’ business areas complement each other very well and our cooperation will put us in an even better position to find and develop new business opportunities,” Volker Hammes, the managing director of BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, said in a statement. “With its 3D printer facilities in Leuven and innovative software solutions, Materialise has an outstanding infrastructure.”

Under the terms of an agreement signed by the two firms, BASF will use Materialise’s resources and machinery to test and optimize its 3D printing materials. 

“To increase the adoption of 3D printing as a complementary manufacturing technology for final products, our industrial customers increasingly demand more control, more choice, and ultimately lower cost,” said Fried Vancraen, the chief executive officer of Materialise, in the release. “We are confident that this collaboration with a leading manufacturer of materials will help to accelerate the adoption of 3D printing in existing vertical markets and create significant business opportunities in new markets.”

Materialise, established in 1990, owns and operates one of the globe’s largest 3D printing facilities, according to the company’s website.

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