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.