Additive Manufacturing in SMEs : Empirical Evidences from Italy

Research on innovative technological methods in SMEs' production processes is progressively receiving attention. However, little is known about the emerging phenomenon of additive manufacturing (AM), which may represent a signi ̄cant strategic lever for fostering a com- pany's competitiveness and performance, especially for SMEs. Our aim is to investigate the e®ects of AM on SMEs' production process, in order to better understand the relative outcomes of such an innovative technique. We used latent content analysis for empirically analyzing SMEs present in one of the most important Italian gold jewelry districts. Our ̄ndings suggest that the AM introduction in a company's production process e®ectively results in many positive outcomes, such as process innovation, customer satisfaction, costs, revenues, pro ̄ts, and competitive advantage. Speci ̄cally, there is a positive linkage between AM and a company's performance. Hence, such an innovative technique may be interpreted as a viable growth strategy for SMEs. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.