How Will COVID-19 Impact New Tech?

(Image source: Adobe Stock) There’s no question at this point that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to have a major economic impact on the world. With that comes the question of how new and emerging technologies will be impacted as well. The temptation is to think that everyone will suffer due to supply chain disruptions, work stoppages, and other issues. But that’s not the case across the board. For some technologies, this pandemic will be more of a growth opportunity than a setback. But which ones? 3D Printing – The Hero’s Journey An open-source, 3D-printable medical face shield from Prusa3D (Image source: Prusa3D) With shortages of masks, face shields, and other vital medical equipment, 3D printing is emerging as the hero technology of the COVID-19 crisis. Numerous additive manufacturing companies as well as DIY/maker communities are shifting their efforts towards printing and providing designs for essential medical equipment. If nothing else, COVID-19 has put 3D printing in the spotlight in a way in hasn’t been before. Aside from the good PR however, 3D printing is also showing a potential for new levels of adoption following the outbreak. Major manufacturers, including automakers, have already been implementing 3D printing into their parts production workflows for years now. Supply chain disruptions created by the coronavirus could see these companies leaning even more heavily into a...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Tags: Design News Source Type: news