Large-format 3D printers and robotic arms producing building sections and marine hulls at an industrial demonstration site.
Dubai, August 14, 2025
3D digital tools — from BIM and VR to large-format 3D printers and AI-driven design — are moving from prototypes into real-world buildings, marine vessels and aerospace components. Projects in Dubai and the Netherlands show full-scale villas, printed hulls and electric passenger abras built faster and with less waste. Luxury yacht makers use robotic printing to halve lead times and cut material waste, while engineers use AI to design metal engine parts for large industrial printers. Benefits include greater precision, faster delivery and reduced waste, though high costs, regulatory hurdles and testing infrastructure remain obstacles to wider adoption.
The way we design and build is changing fast. 3D digital tools — from
BIM and virtual reality to large-format 3D printers and AI‑led design — are moving
beyond prototypes into real buildings, boats and even rocket engines. The shift is cutting errors,
speeding delivery and lowering waste, and it is already visible in high-profile projects from
Dubai to the Netherlands and in experiments in aerospace.
Dubai has set a clear target for the technology, aiming for 25% of new buildings to be
3D-printed by 2030. That push has produced a mix of trials and finished works: a full-scale
202 m² villa with curved walls, wide windows and an integrated car park built with a BOD2 construction
printer; an 11‑metre, electric abra designed to carry up to 20 passengers that cuts manufacturing time
by about 90% and costs by roughly 30%; and a large 3D-printed lounge interior made from recycled
plastic components produced on dozens of printers.
Marine projects show what large-format additive manufacturing can do for curved, complex forms.
A Dutch facility printed a hull for a demonstrator boat using a glass-fibre‑reinforced polymer; that
hull took 82 hours to print and included double-curved surfaces, an integrated fuel tank zone,
cable gutters and self-bailing deck features. Work is underway to print recyclable HDPE hulls for
workboats that could serve patrol, survey or harbor tasks, aiming to test how big-format printing
affects lead time, sustainability and flexibility.
In the luxury yacht sector, robotic large-format printing produced key superstructure parts
such as aerodynamic grilles and visors. The printed parts measured more than four metres in length,
each printed in about 72 hours. By replacing traditional mould and lamination work, the process
halved lead times for those parts, cut material waste by a reported 60% and reduced part weight by
about 15%.
In aerospace, an engineering company is using AI to design complex rocket engine components that
feed directly to industrial metal printers. The group has moved from small test engines to
designs that need printers with build volumes close to two metres, and the next step is
engines capable of meganewton-class thrust. Building and safely testing such engines will require
significant new infrastructure and regulatory oversight.
The range of work extends beyond big machines. A Canadian team printed a modular masonry wall
made from 175 unique ceramic blocks for an office reception space, blending traditional clay
with computed design and tailored clay mixes to balance light and privacy. Furniture makers used
desktop and industrial printers to cut prototype time from more than a week to a few days. Humanitarian
groups have used large-scale printers to produce shelters and homes in disaster zones.
The technology delivers several clear benefits: greater design precision, fewer costly mistakes,
faster build times, and less material waste. BIM models act as a single source of truth across
design, construction and maintenance stages. 3D printing enables parts to be customized, printed off-site
and assembled quickly on location — a benefit for remote or harsh environments. Materials choices can
be tailored to improve sustainability, from recycled plastics in interiors to bioplastic‑wood composites
and recyclable polymers for marine use.
Widespread adoption faces clear hurdles. Equipment and software have high initial costs, which can
bar smaller firms and projects in lower-income regions. Building codes and safety standards are still
catching up to new processes and materials; proving long-term durability and safe performance is a
regulatory priority. For large metal parts and engines, printers need tonnes of metal powder and
dedicated test facilities, which raises local barriers to scale-up.
As printers and software mature and costs fall, expect to see faster adoption across building,
marine and aerospace sectors. The technologies have proven cases that reduce waste and speed up
production, but wider use will depend on clearer standards, more local test infrastructure and
affordable access to large-format equipment. If those pieces fall into place, 3D digital tools
could play a major role in tackling urban growth, housing shortages and industrial flexibility.
3D tools let teams design and test buildings or parts in full before any physical work starts.
This reduces errors, speeds up projects and cuts waste by making only what is needed.
Yes. Large printers have been used to build houses, villa sections and interior features.
Some cities are running targets and trials to scale use, and parts of buildings — like walls,
furniture and complex façades — are already common outputs.
Large-format printing is used for hulls and other boat parts. Benefits include flexible shapes,
faster turnaround, and the ability to use recyclable or reinforced materials made for marine use.
Safety is a main concern. Engineers test materials and structures, and regulators are updating
codes. Long-term performance depends on material choice, print quality and proper certification.
High upfront cost for machines and software, limited local testing facilities, and evolving
building rules are the main hurdles. As equipment becomes cheaper and rules clearer, use should rise.
| Area | What 3D tech offers | Representative figure |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings | Faster assembly, less waste, detailed BIM models for lifecycle use | 25% target for 3D-printed buildings by 2030 (city-level goal) |
| Marine | Large-format hulls, recyclable materials, custom shapes | Hull printed in 82 hours; abra manufacturing time cut ~90% |
| Luxury yachts | Robotic printing of superstructures to cut mould steps and waste | Part printing cut lead time by ~50%, waste by ~60% |
| Aerospace | AI-driven design directly feeding metal printers for engines | Work moving toward meganewton-class engines using large printers |
| Research & Interiors | Custom ceramics, furniture prototyping, eco-focused materials | Modular masonry wall made of 175 unique printed clay blocks |
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