The Wohlers Report has continually adapted to the rapidly changing landscape of additive manufacturing (AM). But the jump from Wohlers Report 2025 (WR25) to Wohlers Report 2026 (WR26) is especially significant, marked by major expansions in data, global coverage, and analytical depth. Below is a concise look at what has changed, and why WR26 represents the most comprehensive edition yet.
1. A Bigger, More Accessible Company Database
WR25: Wohlers Associates tracked only over 3,000 companies in 2024, but readers had no access to this database. It existed internally only.
WR26: The database has grown to more than 5,000 companies, but more importantly, it is now publicly accessible for the first time ever through the new interactive platform. Two of the five modules will be concurrently launched with Wohlers Report 2026, with the remaining three scheduled for release in Q2-Q3 2026. This marks a historic shift, giving readers, analysts, and industry stakeholders direct visibility into the global AM ecosystem.
2. Expanded Global Trade Analysis
WR25: Introduced a brief first-time assessment of global AM-related imports and exports.
WR26: Provides an in-depth, data-rich analysis of imports and exports from major AM system–supplying countries, offering clearer insight into international trade flows, supply chain dynamics, and competitive positioning.
This expanded coverage helps readers understand how geopolitical and economic forces are shaping the distribution of AM technologies worldwide.
3. A New 10-Page Deep Dive into China
WR25 included a broad global discussion of AM globally, but WR26 has focused in on what's of key importance and interest right now.
The report now includes 10 dedicated pages on China's AM landscape, covering:
- National AM strategy and government-backed initiatives
- Accelerating trends in consumer product manufacturing
- Growth of metal AM "mega factories"
- The resurgence and dominance of Chinese desktop 3D printer manufacturers
- Regional AM clusters and concentrations
- Firsthand insights from experts based in China and Singapore
This material provides unprecedented visibility into the world's fastest-growing AM market.
4. Far Larger and More Diverse Industry Survey Input, Particularly from End Users
WR25: Collected 356 segment responses from AM suppliers.
WR26: Collected 1,200 segment responses from both AM suppliers and end users, more than tripling the dataset.
These responses feed into a new assessment of:
- AM adoption progress
- Key challenges
- Technical and organizational enablers
- User experiences and expectations
This expanded survey base helps WR26 paint a more complete picture of real-world AM maturity and barriers.
5. Deepened Financial and Investment Analysis
WR26 features a significantly expanded examination of publicly traded AM companies and global investment trends.
Key new insights include:
- Broader coverage of public AM companies across the U.S., China, Australia, and more
- A detailed review of Chinese investment activity, including a major finding: China now accounts for more than half of all global AM investment deals
- A complete listing of these deals, available both in the printed report and the interactive platform
This upgraded analysis helps clarify how capital is shaping the strategic direction of the AM industry globally.
In Summary: A More Global, More Data-Driven, More Actionable Report
While Wohlers Report 2025 laid the groundwork for several new topics, Wohlers Report 2026 delivers major leaps forward in:
- Data scale (company tracking, surveys, investment analysis)
- Geographical depth (especially China)
- Trade and economic insight
- User access to previously internal data
WR26 goes far beyond simply updating the 2025 edition of the report. It is the most extensive expansion of the report in years, offering readers a richer, more global, and more interactive understanding of additive manufacturing's evolution.
