The impact of Additive Manufacturing on supply chain resilience: a Delphi study

This study examines the impact of Additive Manufacturing (AM) on supply chain resilience (SCR) using Pettit et al.'s framework, which links SCR to supply chain (SC) vulnerabilities and capabilities. Given the lack of quantitative and empirical research on this topic, a Delphi study was conducted to determine whether AM has a positive or negative effect on these factors. The findings indicate that AM generally enhances SCR by improving key SC capabilities and vulnerabilities such as “Adaptability” and “Efficiency”. However, it also presents challenges as it negatively affects SC capabilities and vulnerabilities like “Resource limitations” and “Flexibility”. As such, AM adoption is not universally beneficial. Managers should hence assess their companies' SC capabilities and vulnerabilities, and invest in AM only if it strengthens their weakest areas. Furthermore, this study explores potential future scenarios for AM adoption in SCR. The findings identify two potential scenarios, with expected increases in AM use for SCR of up to 30 %. The study also outlines the required interventions and investments for the realization of these scenarios, offering practical insights for companies and policymakers. These insights guide stakeholders in identifying necessary interventions and understanding how these investments will impact the use of AM for SCR. • The focus is on the impact of AM on supply chain resilience (SCR). • AM is found to positively affect most of the SC capabilities and vulnerabilities. • However, AM also negatively affects relevant SC capabilities and vulnerabilities. • Potential future scenarios for the use of AM for SCR have been derived. • The results are obtained empirically, for the first time in the literature.