Additive Manufacturing at the Forefront of Innovation, with Peter Leys

By: Tasha Keeney, CFA

Additive Manufacturing at the Forefront of Innovation, with Peter Leys

On today’s episode your host and ARK analyst, Tasha Keeney, sits down with the chairman of Materialise, Peter Leys. Materialise NV (“Materialise”) is a leading 3D printing firm that specializes in software and solutions for 3D printing for the medical and manufacturing space. You might know the company for their Materialise Build Processor, one of the most commonly used pieces of software across many different 3D printing manufacturers. Peter has been with the company since 2013 but has long been involved in an advisory capacity and has witnessed Materialise’s development to date. We discuss the multitude of advantages of 3D printing, including significantly reducing production costs and enabling greater creativity and freedom of design. Peter talks about the different industries that can benefit from this technology and how the transformation from traditional manufacturing to additive manufacturing is a slow yet inevitable process. He also shares his views about the level of investor interest, what the main focus of Materialise is and how the market will increasingly become consumer rather than product orientated. Be sure to join us for more about the exciting world of 3D printing!

Disclosure: As of 4/30/19, ARK holds more than 5% of the shares outstanding for Materialise.

“With additive, whether I am building layer by layer the very straightforward box or a very complex gearing wheel, cost basically remains the same. In other words, I can make very complex parts without adding much to the production cost.” “But what makes it very unique is that the company has always been focusing on knowledge. We are selling knowledge. We are gathering knowledge about this new exciting technology and we want to share that knowledge with the world.”

Key Points From This Episode:

How deciding on their IPO fits into their ‘built to last’ philosophy and vision for Materialise
Defining 3D printing and how if differs from subtractive and transformative manufacturing
Why greater complexity and freedom of design are possible with additive manufacturing
Reduced cost of variety and short time to market as some of the biggest advantages
The many different industries that can benefit from this level of customization
Using the eyewear industry as an example to illustrate the possibilities with additive printing
Why investors might still be hesitant and the unknown variable in the ecosystem
New opportunities for switching over to additive manufacturing in the medical field
Their focus on knowledge and communicating that knowledge to the world
Where Materialise is positioned in the market and how they collaborate with other companies
Timing and attracting talent as two major challenges they face as an innovation company
Shifting from a product-centered to a consumer-centered economy