3D Systems and Savannah River National Laboratory Partner on Additive Manufacturing for Energy and National Security

3D Systems has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), a partnership aimed squarely at advancing additive manufacturing (AM) for energy generation and national security applications. For manufacturing professionals watching the convergence of AM and the energy sector, the agreement is a notable signal: the work is structured to move from foundational research to technology transfer and commercial application, not just to publish papers.

Scope of the Collaboration

The joint agenda is broad. The partners will pursue advancements in materials development, equipment enhancements, AI and machine learning-enabled process optimization, manufacturing systems, cybersecurity, and workforce development training. That last item matters more than it might appear — the partnership will expand opportunities for training and developing the next generation of AM scientists, engineers, and technicians, addressing a skills pipeline that remains one of the sector's persistent bottlenecks.

On the hardware side, cutting-edge 3D Systems equipment has already been installed at the AMC in South Carolina, supported by facility upgrades and resident AM subject-matter experts.

Why AM, and Why Now

The technical rationale is familiar to anyone who has tried to qualify advanced alloys through conventional routes. Additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of complex components from advanced alloys that are difficult or impossible to produce using conventional methods. That capability is particularly relevant to critical energy challenges — nuclear energy foremost among them, along with broader energy infrastructure.

The timing is deliberate. The collaboration is positioned to support renewed investment and innovation in the U.S. nuclear and energy sectors. According to the International Energy Agency, small modular reactor capacity could reach roughly 40 gigawatts by 2050 under current policies — or up to 120 gigawatts in accelerated scenarios. That spread is worth sitting with: it represents both the opportunity and the uncertainty hanging over every capacity-planning decision in this space.

The Commercial Pathway

Notably, the CRADA is designed to create a clear pathway from foundational research to technology transfer and commercial application. The partners intend to develop scalable manufacturing solutions for high-value industrial markets including nuclear energy, aerospace and defense, and environmental technologies.

Whether that pathway delivers will depend on execution — research-to-production transitions are where many well-intentioned partnerships stall. But with equipment installed, resident expertise in place, and an explicit commercialization mandate, this CRADA starts with more infrastructure behind it than most.