Capgemini, the French IT consultancy, has teamed up with ETH Zurich to research new ways of applying 3D printing technology.

Today’s 3D printers are mostly used to manufacture products made of a single material, such as metal or plastic. The goal of Capgemini’s partnership with ETH Zurich is to find easier ways of using 3D printers to make components that consist of multiple materials.

Many, if not most, industrial and consumer hardware products are made of multiple materials. Allowing 3D printers to make such products would enable manufacturers to expand their use of the technology.

Capgemini will use AI to support the research collaboration. AI is already used to great effect in the manufacturing sector: engineers utilize machine learning to find new ways of optimizing their components’ design.

The partnership with ETH Zurich, one of the most prestigious universities in Switzerland, is part of Capgemini’s Strategic University Program. It’s an initiative through which the consultancy partners with academic institutions to develop new technologies.

The 3D printing partnership with ETH Zurich can provide returns for Capgemini several ways.

Although it generates most of its revenue from IT services, Capgemini also assists companies with the design of new hardware products. That means the firm and its clients could benefit from any new 3D printing techniques the partnership with ETH Zurich produces.

The partnership will also pay dividends in the marketing arena. The next time Capgemini competes for a consulting project that involves 3D printing, the firm’s salespeople can point to its partnership with ETH Zurich as a sign of its expertise.

Last but not least, Capgemini’s university partnerships give its engineers an opportunity to collaborate with counterparts in the academia. From an employee training perspective, that is a major asset as well.

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