Earlier this month, Irish 3D printing company Mcor Technologies secured a massive deal with retail giant Staples to develop a new service called Staples Easy 3D in Europe.

The video below shows how this service will enable consumers to order a 3D print as easily as photo prints are ordered today.

In the face of a global financial crisis, the European Union is having its share of challenges to grow the economies of the EU member states. The European Commission has a new plan for reviving the declining manufacturing sector which has lost 3 million jobs. The plan calls for member states to invest heavily in 3D printing.

In a leaked paper seen by Reuters, 3D printing is highlighted as a path to job and GDP growth.

The paper which outlines the bloc’s future industrial policy said the commission wants to raise manufacturing from 16 percent to 20 percent of EU GDP by 2020 using new techniques such as 3D printing which builds objects using instructions from a printer.

Enthusiasts for 3D printing say it will revolutionise manufacturing in electronics such as mobile phones and save millions in costs as it would be as cheap to produce one phone as it would be to make thousands.

Some predict that in the more distant future households will have such printers to make mundane objects such as shoes.

Other initiatives for growth include biotech, green vehicles and smart grids.

Via Reuters.

EU Commission program photo by sararasmussen used under Creative Commons license.

Netherlands-based Leapfrog launched a new 3D printer line in Europe. There are two models: the Creatr for € 1250 and the Xeed for € 4920. Both printers should be ready to ship by May 2012.

Leapfrog lists their mission statement as:

The purpose of Leapfrog is to bridge the gap between the current state of technology of 3D printers and the future of 3D printing as a whole. We aim to deliver very easy to use, plug and play devices that look awesome. Our drive is to become a worldwide recognized brand name, capitalizing on the high growth in the market for 3D printing and to take 3D printing to the next level. We strive to deliver devices which make a high quality of printed product available to a much broader customer base at an affordable price. You, the customer are central and should not have to deal with understanding the technology, letting you what you do best: designing and creating new cool things.