Innovation management of three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology: disclosing insights from existing literature and determining future research streams

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a technological innovation that has been receiving an increased amount of attention – both in the media and among scholars – as a result of its profound implications for business, industry, and society. Although it has existed since the 1980s, literature reviews covering major aspects of 3DP technology through the lenses of business and management studies remain limiting with regards to their scope and insights. Through a systematic literature review of 192 manuscripts published in top-tier journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science scholarly databases, this study combines the results of a Multiple Correspondence Analysis and a content analysis to holistically elaborate principal research themes, theoretical frameworks, and future research trends. Major research themes, summarized respectively as: industrial revolution; strategy; technology adoption and governance; performance; risk and uncertainty; human resources; innovation; and sustainability and circular economy, are closely analyzed, and research predictions are provided with regards to the topics of Industry 5.0, future of governance and 3DP adoption, operations performance and supply chain management, and sustainable development and circular economy. Theoretical contributions explore and consolidate the most relevant theoretical foundations of 3DP as a research field and offer guidelines for scholars to consider in future projects.