In a world where product lifecycles are shrinking and supply chains can collapse overnight, 3D People is proving that the fastest route to market is no longer overseas — but says it is right here in the UK — the global manufacturing landscape has dramatically changed.
The markets of today demand speed, agility, and resilience. Low-cost production alone is no longer enough, with customers expecting near-instant delivery, shorter product lifecycles are shorter, and those unable to adapt risk being left behind. UK manufacturers are increasingly turning to reshoring, bringing production back to domestic suppliers and, more specifically, to local additive manufacturing (AM) providers. 3D People says this is not a contingency plan but a deliberate competitive strategy.
Felix Manley, co-founder of
3D People, said: “Speed to market, design agility, and operational resilience are now the real competitive currencies. Our role is to give customers the ability to move from idea to delivery without the friction, delay, or risk of traditional offshore manufacturing.”
The traditional offshore model is struggling to keep pace. Delays in global logistics, emergency air freight, excessive stockholding, and tooling changes all undermine its once compelling cost advantages. By contrast, UK local AM reduces lead times from months to days. 3D People regularly delivers production-quality parts within 48hr and this trend is reflected in findings from a recent Capgemini survey, which revealed that 59% of large organisations have reshored production to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers.
Accelerating innovationMr Manley aded that the benefits of working with 3D People go far beyond simply producing parts. Customers regularly slash prototype iteration cycles from weeks to days, accelerating innovation and aligning with Capgemini’s finding that more than half of executives expect major supply chain cost reductions within three years of reshoring.
This speed is matched by smarter inventory management. With 73% of organisations already planning to move production closer to minimise risk, 3D People’s PartsVault digital inventory system offers a secure solution. Validated designs are stored digitally and can be reprinted instantly, reducing stockholding by up to 30% and freeing up valuable working capital.
Quality is never compromised — in fact, it improves. A University of Warwick survey found that over 70% of reshoring manufacturers reported better product quality thanks to closer oversight and fewer logistics — related issues. With 3D People, speed, efficiency, and uncompromising quality are not competing priorities—they’re the standard.
Sasha Bruml, co-founder of 3D People, concluded: “When you can make fast, controlled changes without the uncertainty of global logistics, you are not just keeping up, you are leading. Reshoring is a strategic leap forward, not a step back.”
The real advantage of UK local AM lies in working with a partner that goes beyond simply producing 3-D printed parts. 3D People provides design consultation, in-house finishing, rigorous quality control, and secure digital inventory management via PartsVault, helping customers launch faster, iterate smarter, and maintain consistent quality.