Authentise and Guardtime Establish Partnership to Secure 3D Printing Intellectual Property

There is no doubt that 3D printing is going to change the world as we know it, in a major way over the next decade. Most of these changes will be for the better. We are already seeing hundreds of awesome applications of the technology within the medical field, oftentimes saving lives, or at least making lives a lot better. In addition, 3D printing is spurring a trend where imagination and innovation can run wild. There are some negative aspects of the technology as well, which will certainly emerge in the years to come. One of the biggest problems with 3D printing will be directed towards intellectual property (IP).

Gartner recently estimated that 3D printing will be responsible for over $100 billion annually in global IP losses. This is an incredible number, capable of doing major damage to various markets around the globe.  Without the protection of intellectual property, companies may collapse and innovation could slow, as research and development funding becomes less meaningful.

Today, Authentise, the leading provider of authentication services for 3D printing, announced the formation of a partnership with Guardtime. Guardtime is the inventor of a technology called Keyless Signature Infrastructure (KSI). According to the press release issued by the companies:

“This alliance launches 3D Printing assurance services and tools so that CIO’S & CTO’S can be assured their Intellectual Property is protected through distribution and consumption, with the benefits of Guardtime defense-grade enforcement and auditing mechanisms for commercial production. Joint solution offers 3D Printing supplier and distribution integrity, secure 3D management streaming, and continuous monitoring tools, which can assure the quality of digital production data. “

The partnership will lead to a more secure infrastructure within 3D modelling and printing applications, as well as reduce the risk of companies unknowingly using unauthorized IP during designing and/or printing of parts, making manufacturing much more efficient in the process.

Andre Wegner, CEO of Authentise, stated “3D Printing is no longer about prototypes. Manufacturing of final components already represent more than 30% of services in the industry and is of growing importance. Now software and services have to follow suit, and IP loss and litigation are a major concern. Through this partnership we are able to provide traditional supply chain actors with end to end security and indemnification that they need to benefit in this new era and stay ahead.”

This is a big step for the two companies, since IP protection will be key as we move forward into a world filled with digital products. Discuss this partnership between Authentise and Guardtime at 3DPB.com