According to a report, Texan construction 3D printing specialist ICON has laid off 114 members of staff in an effort to refocus resources on the hardware side of its business.
In a statement issued to US news channel KVUE, the firm explained this decision to “realign their team.” Apparently, ICON not only plans to double down on the development of its new Phoenix system, it wants to get more machines to engineers out in the field.
Given the lay-offs elsewhere in the 3D printing industry, it would be easy to jump to conclusions about the move, or question the future of ICON’s technology. But, if you take a step back and look at the wider industry context, it’s not time to panic just yet.
From established players like COBOD to the Amazon-backed 14Trees, there are still numerous 3D printing firms out there trying to carve out a niche in the construction space. Having raised over $450 million, ICON remains one of the best positioned to take advantage of the technology’s disruptive potential, whether it be in lead times, cost-savings, or sustainability.
The company has also shown no signs of winding down its activities. It was only last year that ICON announced plans to 3D print another 100 homes in Texas. Then there’s its CV – few other construction 3D printing firms have achieved as much as ICON.
From the world’s first 3D printed hotel to a NASA moonbase made from synthetic lunar regolith, the company has continually innovated and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible.
With all this in mind, it’s clear that ICON still has a pivotal role to play in an emerging space. Whether its technology proves to be a game-changer, either in space or here on terra firma, is another question. But ICON’s journey – and that of construction 3D printing – is far from over.
