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Worcester Business Journal www.wbjournal.com 2015 Economic Forecast 13 Here are five things to watch in 2015 in manufacturing, especially the technology that facilitates it: 3D printing will be put to the test While 3D printing may grab headlines, it's not yet ready for prime time. 3D printing may allow for new, innovative approaches, but the products it creates have yet to be stress-proven by any but the largest companies, such as Raytheon, accord- ing to Torbjorn Bergstrom, the director of the Haas Technical Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who also manages the school's manufactur- ing laboratories. "(Additive manufacturing) is not really fully devel- oped yet, especially when it gets into printing metal parts," he said explaining that the technology still has a way to go toward making durable goods. "It's still really a prototyping tool and for customizing things." But in the coming year, more manufacturers will experiment to test the capabilities of 3D printed parts, which will ultimately allow the technology to go main- stream. WPI will be getting into the action with a new center devoted to stress-testing 3D parts. "We are building a center where we are going to be 3D printing all day long so we can bring them to a lab next door and break them," Bergstrom said. Workforce shortfalls continue to stifle growth The biggest hurdle to manufacturing growth in Central Massachusetts 2015 will be the continuing lack of a suitable workforce. According to Jack Healy, director of operations at the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP) in Worcester, getting qualified workers will continue to be the key defining factor for the region's manufacturers. m a n u fa c t u r i n g & t e c h n o l o g y 5 Things To WaTch technology, skills (or lack of them) weigh on region's manufacturers M anufacturing continues to struggle in Central Massachusetts, with both national and regional factors to blame. The national manufacturing discussion has turned to reshoring, bringing back manufacturing jobs to this country through more reliance on automation, coupled with rising wages in developing nations where manufacturers have relocated. Closer to home, the focus continues to be on finding qualified workers to facilitate expansion, as the industry continues to grow slowly. Like prior years, 2015 will con- tinue to be a building year for manufacturing in the state. By SAM BONACCI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer >> Continued on Page 14 1 2