3D Systems Partners With Savannah River National Laboratory to Advance Nuclear 3D Printing

Key Points

• 3D Systems and Savannah River National Laboratory, or SRNL, signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, or CRADA, on August 27, 2026.
• The partnership is based at SRNL’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative in South Carolina.
• Research will cover additive-manufacturing materials, equipment upgrades, AI and machine-learning process optimization, cybersecurity, scalable production, and workforce training.
• A primary focus is 3D printing for nuclear-energy systems and broader energy-infrastructure resilience.
• Potential applications include heat exchangers, reactor internals, pumps, valves, high-temperature nickel superalloys, and radiation-tolerant components.
• The agreement creates a research-to-commercialization pathway but does not disclose contract value, product orders, revenue projections, or deployment commitments.

 3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD) has entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Savannah River National Laboratory to advance additive-manufacturing technologies for nuclear energy, critical infrastructure, and national-security applications. The collaboration will focus on advanced materials, AI-enabled production optimization, cybersecurity, and scalable manufacturing processes.

CRADA Partnership Expands 3D Systems’ Role in Nuclear Energy Manufacturing

3D Systems and SRNL will work through the laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative to develop and validate new approaches to industrial 3D printing. The CRADA structure is designed to combine 3D Systems’ additive-manufacturing technology with SRNL’s research capabilities and energy-sector expertise.

The partnership targets applications where conventional manufacturing can be slow, costly, or unable to produce complex geometries. Additive manufacturing may enable faster prototyping, design flexibility, and production of specialized parts for demanding energy and national-security environments.

Advanced Materials and AI Process Controls Target Production-Ready 3D Printing

The collaboration will pursue improved materials, equipment enhancements, manufacturing systems, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools for real-time process optimization. The goal is to create repeatable and scalable production methods rather than limit additive manufacturing to prototyping or small research programs.

AI-enabled monitoring may help manufacturers detect process variation, maintain part quality, and improve production consistency. Those capabilities are especially important for high-consequence components used in energy infrastructure or national-security settings, where materials performance, traceability, and quality assurance are critical.

Nuclear Reactor Components Create a High-Value Additive Manufacturing Opportunity

A central focus of the agreement is applying 3D printing to nuclear-energy systems, including advanced reactors and small modular reactors. Potential component categories include heat exchangers, reactor internals, pumps, and valves made from high-temperature nickel-based superalloys or radiation-tolerant materials.

These applications may be particularly relevant to next-generation reactor designs, which can require complex parts, specialized alloys, and resilient supply chains. The partnership also addresses broader energy-infrastructure needs, including equipment that could improve the durability and repairability of critical systems.

Workforce Training and Technology Transfer Support Commercial Adoption

Beyond research, the agreement includes workforce development for additive-manufacturing scientists, engineers, and technicians. The partners intend to create a pathway from laboratory work to technology transfer and eventually commercial-scale industrial use.

SRNL’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative is intended to make the laboratory’s researchers and capabilities more accessible to partners. Its focus includes additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing techniques, which provides 3D Systems with a setting to demonstrate and refine technology alongside energy and industrial stakeholders.

What the SRNL Partnership Means for DDD Investors

The SRNL agreement strengthens 3D Systems’ strategic positioning in energy, nuclear, and national-security markets, areas where technical requirements and barriers to entry may support higher-value applications. However, the announcement is a development partnership rather than a disclosed commercial award.

For DDD investors, the next milestones are jointly developed materials or qualified components, technical demonstrations, government or utility relationships, regulatory or industry certifications, technology-transfer agreements, and commercial orders. The partnership provides a credible route into advanced-energy additive manufacturing, but its financial value will depend on how successfully 3D Systems converts collaborative research into recurring production revenue.