Foreign Brands Dominate China 3D Printer Market

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Based on its latest report China 3D Printing Market Analysis 2014-2015, IDC announced today that the fast-growing 3D printer market continue to be dominated by foreign brands although Chinese vendors are catching up and growing faster. The top five players in the China 3D printer market in revenue terms are all foreign brands namely EOS, Stratasys, Renishaw, ZRapid and Solidscape. However, more Chinese vendors placed in the top five for China’s desktop market due to their competitive print quality and prices. Foreign brands Stratasys (Makerbot) and 3D systems topped the list but the rest of the top five in this category belong to Chinese vendors Xery, Flashforge and Beijing Tiertime.

"Foreign brands' maturity in the technology, print stability and print quality help them maintain their top positions in the market. But the gap between foreign brands and local brands is narrowing as local vendors ramp up their effort to improve their printer’s performance and quality," said Wendy Mok, Research Manager of IDC’s Imaging, Printing and Document Solutions research.

In terms of China's export market for desktop 3D printers, the top 3 brands Flashforge, Beijing Tiertime and Winbo account for 50% of the market. The large export revenue from Chinese vendors is driven by the price competitiveness of made in China products and the demand to provide OEM services to foreign brands.

"China vendors who are targeting mid-level to high-end users in China and the foreign market will need to start looking at more than just hardware prices as vendors need to incorporate software and services as part of their portfolios. Traditionally, the competitive advantage of Chinese brands in the overseas market is their relatively low price as compared with foreign vendors. New users will always opt for cheaper hardware to test out while existing users that have gained the experience and knowledge in integrating 3D printers into their businesses will tend to opt for foreign brands," said Mok.

3D printing is one of six innovation accelerators that IDC believes will fast-track digital transformation in the marketplace. With the support from "Made in China 2025" Master Plan and the 13^th Five-Year Plan, it is expected to continue growing in the coming years. However, it is not without key challenges that must be addressed in order for vendors to achieve success in this burgeoning market.

In IDC's upcoming Directions 2016 event in Shenzhen, Keith Kmetz, Program Vice President of IDC's Imaging, Printing & Document Solutions research will deliver a session on "Finding Success in 3D Printing" on 15^th April 2016. This session discusses IDC's 3D printer market vision as well as the tactics to consider for maximizing its potential.

The IDC Asia Pacific/China ICT Direction 2016 Roadshow will be help in Shenzhen. Here are the details of this event.

Date: 15^th April, 2016

Time: 08:30-16:30

Address: Shenzhen Road 9009, Overseas Chinese Town

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company.