Ayshe Yoner

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3D printing has experienced the most vibrant technological advancement in the last decade, although the idea of it goes back to the 1970s. Looking at the last decade, producing one-off prototypes, replicating designs and short-run manufacturing were the biggest advancements of 3D printing (RevPart, 2019). With a small research, it is possible to see how 3D printed changed our lives, disrupted different manufacturing industries, and reduced sources and the cost of manufacturing. More and more companies have benefitted from the use of 3D printing which provided improvements in efficiency, human input, and increased productivity. On the other hand, there was substantial concern about 3D printing, since mostly it had been used only for low-volume production for instance craft items like jewelry, or for customizing products, such as prosthetics (3D printers will change manufacturing, 2017). When it comes to high volumes, 3D printing was too slow and too expensive. Nowadays, this concern doesn’t seem realistic anymore. With the new approaches, it can be tackled. According to novel developments, 3D printing can be seen as a form of disruptive technology (The Disruptive Technological of 3D Printing, 2020).

Was the effect of 3D printing only on the manufacturing sector?

Of course not!

Every day, the news shows us what is feasible with 3D printing. Architectural works are one of them. It’s undeniable that 3D printing will be a new milestone in the construction sector as well.

First built or in other words, printed houses with the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Vesteda housing corporation in Europe founded their tenants. 3D printed houses are seen as a good alternative in the Netherlands since there is a shortage of bricklayers (Boffey, 2021).

According to Mighty Buildings, a large part of the process is computerized, so that automation plays an essential role to reduce costs. Looking at the construction industry, it is seeable that the rate of productivity didn’t increase in the last years, since there are a lot of shortages of skilled labor. 3D printing enables people to have greater versatility and fast construction ( The rise of 3D-printed houses, 2021).

Will 3D printing disrupt the construction sector?

Nowadays, lack of adequate accommodation and climate change are the two biggest issues to deal with, especially in Europe. 3D printing is more environmentally since prefabricating the products decreases the number of vehicle journeys, thus the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per home. There is a long way for 3D printing to complete its improvements and replace the construction industry. However, I believe in the following years we will be seeing more and more 3D printed houses.

References

Boffey, D. (2021, May 3). Dutch couple become Europe’s first inhabitants of a 3D-printed house. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/apr/30/dutch-couple-move-into-europe-first-fully-3d-printed-house-eindhoven

The Disruptive Technological of 3D Printing. (2020, July 28). ArcGIS StoryMaps. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/bbf377b347424c8ab79684346105082e

The Economist. (2021, August 31). The rise of 3D-printed houses. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/the-rise-of-3d-printed-houses/21803667

The Economist. (2017, June 29). 3D printers will change manufacturing. https://www.economist.com/leaders/2017/06/29/3d-printers-will-change-manufacturing

R. (2019, August 30). How The Evolution Of 3D Printing Has Changed The Manufacturing Landscape. RevPart. https://revpart.com/how-the-evolution-of-3d-printing-has-changed-the-manufacturing-landscape/

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After the Covid-19 outbreak, there occurred a big threat to access agricultural products due to the lack of labor power. Thus, vertical farming became an appealing phenomenon as a sustainable option to grow vegetables without pesticides and with less amount of water in urban areas recently, although this method has already been known from east Asia. Vertical farming can be defined as cultivating vegetables vertically using new agriculture methods, which bring agriculture techniques and architectural technology together (Kalantari, 2017). According to Statista projection (2019), the market value of vertical farming will be increased to 15.7 billion in the U.S in 2025. The reasons underlying this forecast are the world population, which is expected to increase to 8.9 million by 2050, and the opportunities that come with vertical farming.

Firstly, to meet the needs of the world population in 2050, food production must grow more than 70% globally. However, it doesn’t seem realistic since the arable land per person is decreasing (Zhang et al., 2021). Vertical farming can be practiced anywhere, and doesn’t need a large space, as crops grow on top of each other. Furthermore, vegetables don’t need any sunlight, and it requires less water than vegetables need in traditional agriculture to grow. How can it be possible? Of course, with a combination of technology and traditional agriculture methods.

The technology used in vertical farming

A myriad of technologies is combined to keep vertical farming running. With the help of artificial intelligence, robotics t lightning, optimized LEDs, water filtration and hydroponic to control climatic conditions, vertical farming is transformed into plant fabric (New ways to make vertical farming stack up, 2019). Hence, scientists try to get improvements and automation monitoring every data of crops and vegetables.

Moreover, the energy used in vertical farming is electricity, which can be provided from renewable sources. Thus, it becomes not only greener and cheaper, but also an alternative for sustainable food cultivation (Vertical farms are growing more and more vegetables in urban areas, 2020).

Will vertical farming be a disruptive innovation for agriculture in the future?

I personally believe that vertical farming will have a greater and more essential role in our lives in the following years. However, I do not think that it can eliminate traditional agriculture that has been inherited from our ancestors. I believe that with the breakthrough of technological advancement, it will be a significant competitor against old-fashioned greenhouses.

References

Kalantari, F. (2017). A Review of Vertical Farming Technology: A Guide for Implementation of Building Integrated Agriculture in Cities | Scientific.Net. Scientific.Net. https://www.scientific.net/AEF.24.76

The Economist. (2019, September 3). New ways to make vertical farming stack up. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2019/08/31/new-ways-to-make-vertical-farming-stack-up

The Economist. (2021, September 28). Vertical farms are growing more and more vegetables in urban areas. https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2021/09/28/vertical-farms-are-growing-more-and-more-vegetables-in-urban-areas

Statista. (2020, July 20). Global vertical farming market projection 2019 & 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/487666/projection-vertical-farming-market-worldwide/

Zhang, Z., Rod, M., & Hosseinian, F. (2021). A Comprehensive Review on Sustainable Industrial Vertical Farming Using Film Farming Technology. Sustainable Agriculture Research, 10(526-2021-496), 46-53.

Interesting articles to read

Vertical farming start-up AeroFarms to list at $1.2bn valuation in Spac deal: https://www.ft.com/content/48aff9a0-47b1-4456-a60f-a1c0d48be2c2

Vertical farming: hope or hype?: https://www.ft.com/content/0e3aafca-2170-4552-9ade-68177784446e

The Future of 3D Printed Constructions

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Will vertical farming be disruptive for agriculture in the future?

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