vertical integration
Apples & Philips: From Sand to Customer or the Joys of Vertical Integration
“From sand to customer” was originally the business philosophy of Philips. The Dutch electronics firm was a pioneer in lightbulbs and later leveraged its expertise into X-ray tubes, radios, shavers,…
What I Would Do If I Were Josef Průša, Part 2: Right on the Nose
How can you beat Garry Kasparov? With a baseball bat. If you ask yourself the question, “How can I beat Garry Kasparov,” and silently add the fragment “at chess” in…
What I Would Do If I Were Josef Průša, Part 1: Shark Cosplay
If I were Josef Průša, I’d probably gloat and be insufferable. Honestly, though, it’s a question that has vexed me. Josef asked on LinkedIn whether people would like to see…
Billion Dollar Bambu and a New Worldview?
Imagine for a moment that Bambu Lab sells 2.7 million 3D printers this year. If their average ticket price is $350 and they generate $75 million in filament sales, their…
Acuity Surgical Picks AddUp FormUp 350 for Metal 3D Printed Implants
Ohio-based Acuity Surgical is moving towards standardizing on AddUp’s FormUp 350 systems. Acuity, a privately held spinal implant firm, stands out in the orthopedics world. Most companies in this sector…
Sandvik’s 3D Printing U-Turn: Why Is the Metals Giant Selling its BEAMIT Stake?
At the beginning of 2023, I wrote that Sandvik’s approach to 3D printing was excellent. At the time, it seemed that Sandvik’s path into 3D printing was very well executed….
From Sand to Customer: Anton and Gerard Phillips, 3D Printing and Outsourcing
I wrote this story in a loft that used to be a Phillips factory. The iconic light tower, Lichttoren, was used to test lightbulbs while the factory below it was…
