For decades, the global map of advanced manufacturing was largely split between the West and Europe. North America held the lion’s share of additive manufacturing (AM) revenue, followed by Europe. Asia? A distant third. But that’s no longer the case.

Today, the landscape is shifting fast. After years of slow progress, China has picked up the pace and now leads the way. But this isn’t just about more factories or cheaper machines. What is happening is a shift in how innovation happens, how governments support it, and how companies compete. The Asian dragon has awakened, and the rest of the world is feeling it.

Tuan Tranpham at the Anisoprint booth in TCT Asia 2025. Image courtesy of FibreSeek.

No Longer Just the World’s Factory

China’s evolution didn’t happen overnight. It began, like many industrial stories, with imitation. Western companies set up shop, trained local partners, and offshored manufacturing to cut costs. But what started as contract manufacturing has matured into something far more powerful: independent innovation.

Chinese companies absorbed knowledge from their global partners (just as Japan once did) and then began to develop their own capabilities. Think of Lenovo taking over IBM’s laptop division or Foxconn learning from Apple. The pattern is repeating in 3D printing. Companies like Farsoon, Bright Laser Technologies (BLT), Eplus3D, and HBD have been around for years, but only recently have they stepped into the spotlight with machines that are bigger, faster, and often cheaper than their Western counterparts.

The FS811M-12. Image courtesy of Farsoon.

Government as Catalyst

One of China’s biggest advantages is not just its talent or tech, but its policy. In China, the government actually encourages innovation. Startups can be offered entire buildings at a fraction of the cost, giving them room to scale. We’re talking about offering a thousand-person building to a 60-person team, just so they have space to grow.

They also get help through tax incentives, access to local supply chains, and state-backed programs that help smaller players compete with big, global companies.

It’s a very different support than what is seen in Europe or the U.S., where starting and running a business is usually more expensive and support is harder to find. While Western governments focus on adding tariffs or raising barriers, China is lowering them for its own innovators. The result is an ecosystem where AM companies aren’t just surviving; they are thriving. The goal is scale, and public policy is designed to help young companies grow into national champions.

FibreSeek headquarters. Image courtesy of FIbreSeek.

A Shifting Balance of Power

What’s more, for many years, China was seen as a copycat. Products were reverse-engineered, designs imitated, and international companies often felt that intellectual property (IP) protections were weak or ignored. This reputation was key to how the West viewed Chinese manufacturing.

But that is changing fast.

China now has its own innovators to protect. Homegrown companies are creating original technology, filing patents, and building complex AM systems that can compete or surpass their Western counterparts. Machines from BLT or Farsoon, for example, now feature dozens of lasers and proprietary powder-handling systems; technologies that are really cutting-edge, not copied.

Now that Chinese companies are developing their own technology, the government is starting to protect it. In the past, IP rules weren’t always taken seriously. But that’s changing, and not to help Western businesses, but to defend its local ones. Local companies that invest in R&D are now better protected from copycats, even within China. What used to be a “copy-and-catch-up” game is becoming something totally different, more like “innovate and protect.”

If China wants to become a true leader in global tech, it needs an ecosystem that values innovation. That means protecting intellectual property, enforcing rules, and creating trust, both for local players and international ones.

For Western companies still stuck in the mindset that “China copies,” this new reality may come as a surprise. But it’s one of the clearest signs that China is no longer just following, but leading. In fact, the country is quietly (and aggressively) setting the stage for global dominance.

3D printed parts. Image courtesy of FIbreSeek.

Two decades ago, North America made up nearly half of global AM revenue. Now, it’s closer to one-third, and China has closed the gap. Trade show floors, once dominated by American and European booths, are now overflowing with Chinese exhibitors. At TCT Asia, the scale and activity easily beat what we’ve seen at RAPID + TCT in the U.S. There were more machines, more announcements, and a wave of new companies that many in the West haven’t even heard of.

And these companies aren’t just focused on success at home. They’re going global, hiring Western talent, building international sales networks, and showing up at trade shows around the world. For anyone paying attention, it’s clear that the dragon isn’t a myth anymore. It’s leading the market.

Attendees at the Anisoprint booth in TCT Asia 2025. Image courtesy of FibreSeek.

What the West Got Wrong

Many Western companies didn’t see this coming. They thought innovation would stay in places like Silicon Valley or Stuttgart. But price, speed, and scale told a different story. Machines that once cost $30,000 are now being replaced by Chinese models that cost less than $3,000. Everyone promised the democratization of AM hardware, but China actually did it.

At the same time, talent is heading east. As big companies in the U.S. and Europe merge or downsize, Chinese firms that want to scale are hiring their engineers and leaders.

HBD presents its technology in China. Image courtesy of HBD.

Before, manufacturing would move to Asia because it was cheaper. Now, it’s staying there because that’s where the innovation is. China is no longer just the “factory of the world,” it’s becoming the world’s innovation hub.

In China, advanced technology is already in use. Metal 3D printers with dozens of lasers are operating in factories. Foldable smartphones are available everywhere. In cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen, electric cars and high-speed trains are common, and drone shows are part of public events. These are some of the incredible components of everyday life that dominate the landscape.

TCT Asia 2025. Image courtesy of FibreSeek.

The rise of the Asian dragon is no longer just a theory; instead, it’s moving the center of gravity in global manufacturing. What started as low-cost outsourcing has evolved into something much more strategic. China, in particular, has built the bases it needs to invent the technology.

Many in the West still don’t see the scale of what’s happening. It’s like a train gaining speed, while many refuse to look down the tracks. Whether the U.S. and Europe adapt or fall behind may be one of the most important questions in the AM industry of the next decade.

The rise of the Asian dragon is already here, and it could change everything.