The Future of Additive Manufacturing in Sports

This chapter highlights the present and projected impact of additive manufacturing technologies on the sports ecosystem. Beiderbeck, Krüger, and Minshall first describe the process- and product-related advantages that derive from additive manufacturing in general. Then, they introduce an additive manufacturing sports application matrix, which serves as a grid to structure current use cases along their benefits for the sports industry. Next, they illustrate how the interplay between additive manufacturing and technological advancement in other fields like artificial intelligence, sensor technology, and robotics can create new products and business models. The chapter concludes with a discussion about future opportunities and challenges around additive manufacturing and innovation in sports.