Japanese Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities Grow in Europe with Sodick’s Purchase of Prima Additive

The global economy is currently undergoing a reshuffling in terms of what gets manufactured where. In large part, this trend is being driven by new geopolitical alliances and the need to reduce energy prices. After a long period of careful observation, Japanese manufacturers have leapt into action, investing in or outright acquiring firms in the advanced manufacturing space, including industrial 3D printer manufacturers.

Among them is Sodick, widely known for its electrical discharge machining (EDM) equipment, which has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Prima Additive, the additive manufacturing (AM) subsidiary of Prima Industrie. The move follows a 2024 minority investment in Prima Additive, where it secured a 9.5% stake and entered into a joint development and distribution partnership. The deal is expected to close by the end of Q2 2025, marking a pivotal milestone for both companies as they seek to refocus and realign their industrial ambitions.

Headquartered in Turin, Prima Additive was formed in 2022 following a merger between Prima Industrie’s internal AM division and Italian startup 3D New Technologies. The company has since built a strong portfolio of metal 3D printing systems, including both powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) platforms. Its offerings range from compact PBF machines for specialty materials like copper, to large-format, multi-laser systems for industrial-scale production.

Prima Industrie’s decision to divest the business reflects a renewed emphasis on its core operations in automated sheet metal working and laser systems, consolidated under the Prima Power brand. The move is meant to be part of the company’s “Evolve by Integration” strategy, aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating international growth in its primary market segments.

“Prima Industrie has decided to sell Prima Additive to focus more on its core business of sheet metal processing systems and 3D laser cutting machines,” said Giovanni Negri, CEO of Prima Industrie. “We are pleased to transfer Prima Additive to Sodick, a company that will undoubtedly allow it to realize its full potential.”

Sodick has long had complementary interests in metal additive manufacturing. Its hybrid machining systems, which combine subtractive and additive processes, are already well aligned with the needs of mold makers and other precision manufacturing segments. The acquisition of Prima Additive gives Sodick a direct pipeline to high-end AM technologies, including DED toolheads compatible with CNC platforms and innovative dual-laser PBF systems featuring green laser capabilities for reflective materials.

The two companies’ technologies are highly complementary. While Prima Additive had struggled with marketing and broader distribution despite its strong R&D output, Sodick brings an established global network and operational scale. Prima’s DED systems could be enhanced by Sodick’s expertise in wire and EDM technologies, while its PBF portfolio gives Sodick a direct entry into the high-growth, high-mix AM segment.

Prima Additive will also provide Sodick with a strategic foothold in Europe’s competitive and expanding AM market. The consolidation is expected to generate synergies across product lines, customer verticals, and geographic regions, helping Sodick compete with larger players such as DMG Mori, FANUC, and GF Machining Solutions—all of whom are investing heavily in digital and additive technologies.

The continental location of purchase should not be overlooked, as Europe enters a new phase of reindustrialization spurred by a desire to support Ukraine’s military conflict and the need to reduce energy demand associated with imports by manufacturing locally. Meanwhile, in the U.S., which boasted its reshoring efforts more brazenly half-a-decade ago, Japanese and German companies have already begun carving out territory. Nikon, DMG Mori, EOS and others have begun manufacturing systems domestically to meet American market demand.

All of the above is part of broader location efforts on the part of global powers who have suddenly begun communicating the need for reshoring as a means of independence from foreign adversaries. Potentially a stronger driver, however, is the rapid need to reduce energy inputs demanded by globalization.