HP pushes 3D, 4D printing technology innovation

Recently, the American technology giant Hewlett-Packard Company announced that the company has opened a research and development center in León, Spain. The center will work with its 3D Printing Global R&D headquarters in Greater Barcelona to promote innovation in its 3D printing and 4D printing technologies. At present, the center has created 50 highly skilled jobs, and currently 13 positions are still in recruitment. The company plans to create a total of 100 new jobs in the next two years.

As we all know, after November 1st, HP has been split into two new companies: HP Enterprise (HPE) and Hewlett-Packard (HP), and 3D printing will become one of the key businesses of the spin-off HP. In November last year, the Spanish government also allocated 21.25 million euros to support Hewlett-Packard’s establishment of a global R&D headquarters at Sant Cugat del Vallès in Barcelona, ​​specializing in the development of 3D printing technology.

This time, HP opened a Leon Research Center nearby to expand the company’s research in the area of ​​3D printing, especially in the area of ​​4D printing—mainly creating microfluidic materials to develop 3D with conductive properties. Print the object.

“This move will leave León a big one in the first page of the fourth industrial revolution,” said Miguel Angel Turrado, HP's Leon plant manager. He further emphasized that HP's presence in León will be the city’s center for information and communications technology in Spain, which will attract some of the most talented engineers in Spain and abroad. The company now has 300 skilled employees at the Leon facility and plans to recruit 20 to 30 new workers each year until 2017. "The new HP Solutions has the entrepreneurial spirit, but has the strength and experience of a 76-year-old multinational company with over $50 billion in sales.

In recent years, HP has been targeting expansion in the area of ​​3D printing. In fact, this year the company has released the first 3D printer based on its self-developed multi-jet melting (MJF) technology, which is scheduled to be officially launched in 2016. In addition, Hewlett-Packard has also found its own partner in the industry, with heavyweight companies such as Autodesk and Shapeways, and become a founding member of Microsoft's leading 3MF alliance.