The nature of competition and  corporate strategies adopted by industries will be impacted upon. Not only will this affect the location and organisation of manufacturing production worldwide, the standardisation versus adaptation decision will need to be re-evaluated.

• 3D-printing will make the manufacturing of products increasingly possible at the point of sales by “printing” the object, rather than having to rely on outsourced production and assembly. 

• GVCs will become compressed as intermediary input/components are removed apart from the “ink”. 

• 3D-printing will also lower the need for inventory, warehousing, distribution, retail centres, and packaging. 

• As CAD-files will replace intermediary goods, 3D printing will alter the characteristics of trade within GVC. Instead, the cross-border transfer of material goods and services, the trade will increasingly consist of the international transfer of immaterial data (designs, blueprints, software etc.). 

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