With so many industry firsts, debuts and our own product launches that took place throughout 2017 (TCT Awards, RAPID + TCT and TCT Germany all made their debuts last year), it is difficult to pick just one highlight from the last twelve months.
However, from a personal point of view, a major high point was taking part in the UK’s first #3DTalk panel session with Women in 3D Printing and Cyant at TCT Show 2017.
Focussing on materials for 3D printing, the event brought together four female panelists to discuss advancements, impact on industry and what’s next for the development of AM (additive manufacturing) specific materials. Crucially, this was not just a "what is it like to be a woman in the industry?" discussion (though the topic certainly has its place) but rather a meeting of four experts to talk about one of the industry's most interesting focus areas.
Nora Toure, founder of Women in 3D Printing, a group dedicated to support women in the AM industry, led the panel which included Dana McCallum, Head of Production Partnerships at Carbon, Sophie Jones, General Manager at Added Scientific, Dr. Nicola Jones, Marketing Manager at LPW Technology, and Martine van der Ent, European Sales Director at DSM Somos.
The discussion covered current challenges in materials from metal powders to polymers, sustainability issues, the possibility for new classes of materials and how important education will be in supporting this next generation of 3D printing R&D, including encouraging more women into the industry from a young age.
Watch the panel session in full here and look out for more TCT and #3DTalk collaborations throughout 2018.
