TIPE 3D Printing Global Conference. (Image courtesy of Women in 3D Printing.)

Non-profit Women in 3D Printing (Wi3DP) recently held its second virtual event show for TIPE (Technology, Industry, People, and Economics) 2022. The event took place from January 18 to 20 and featured all-female speakers, panelists and leaders in the additive manufacturing industry. The event focuses on “case studies, additive manufacturing user applications, visionary talks on the future and people that are shaping the industry.” The 2022 lineup included more than 100 speakers across the four tracks mentioned in the conference’s title: technology, industry, people and economics.

“With a mission of ‘promoting, supporting and inspiring women using Additive Manufacturing technologies,’ Women in 3D Printing seeks to foster a more diverse industry. Within six years of existence, Women in 3D Printing managed to grow from a simple blog to one of the largest Additive Manufacturing communities worldwide, with over 75 chapters in 30 countries,” shared Wi3DP founder Nora Touré.

Headlining the three-day global conference was renowned fashion-tech designer Anouk Wipprecht, award-winning designer and founder of JK Design, Juia Koerner (the designer behind the 3D printed costume from Marvel’s Black Panther), and CEO of Marshall Plan for Moms and Girls Who Code, founder Reshma Saujani. Wipprecht discussed topics such as interactive couture, wearable devices and smart textiles that are powered by robotics, sensors, machine learning and AI. On the other hand, Koerner touched on the use of 3D printing, additive manufacturing and robotic technology in architecture, fashion and product design. Saujani spoke about the inequity facing women and mothers, in particular, in the workplace and, more importantly, what there is to do about it.

In addition to that, a number of track speakers came from various industries and included a wide range of topics—from the highly technical to ones that were more socially driven. This included academics, research and design engineers, and other industry professionals from numerous organizations.

Caterina Pampolari, Product Manager at Magnitude Innovations, shared what it’s like to be part of a small business and how to find the right number of team members (six is apparently just the right size). Malika Khodja, a 3D printing consultant based in South Africa and chair of Wi3DP’s Africa committee, and Tuan TranPham, Chief Revenue Officer at Azul3D, discussed the potential for the 3D printing industry on the continent. Khodja said she is advocating for local production of metal 3D printing powders, with businesses using atomizers to make materials rather than export their rich resource supply to other nations which profit.

Industry experts from end-users such as Ford, Honda, LEGO, NASA, JPL, Peloton and Stanley Black & Decker were also in attendance and presented alongside vendors such as Carbon and Materialise.

Alongside the conference, a virtual career fair was held over two sessions with one dedicated for audiences in North America and the other for those in Europe. The fair focused specifically on career opportunities within the additive manufacturing sector. One of the main highlights from this year was more networking opportunities, allowing participants to create long-lasting connections within the additive manufacturing industry as well as other related communities. According to Wi3DP president Kristin Mulherin, attendees from last year demanded more networking time.

The TIPE 3D Printing conference involves a 3-day global conference and a career fair. It is built by and for a community of over 23,000 patrons and is driven by its desire to create a space where women can exchange ideas that are not merely isolated to technology and business alone. 2.3 million women left the job market in 2021 with women of color leaving at twice the rate. Events like these allow for conversations surrounding diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The TIPE event first made its debut last year and met with success, with approximately 1,600 attendees and 147 speakers.

For more information and to watch last year’s replay, visit TIPE 3D Printing’s official website.