3D Printing and Blockchains for an Emergency Response Supply Chain

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of responsive, efficient, and cost-effective production networks to manufacture essential goods rapidly. The Air Factories 2.0 project is a research-driven initiative designed to withstand the pandemic by leveraging advanced technologies, such as 3D printing, blockchains, and distributed manufacturing, to summon the maker community’s expertise and resources. However, this project’s potential extends beyond the medical field and can be actualized in several domains. This paper comprehensively analyzes the Air Factories 2.0 platform, its technological and scientific contexts, and its potential implications for the future of manufacturing, emergency response, and 3D printing-enabled decentralized supply chains.The study outlines the Air Factories 2.0 project’s operational and organizational structure, stakeholders and roles, participation and tokenization mechanisms, algorithms used to manage production and distribution, blockchains, and smart contracts employed to ensure transparency, security, and efficiency. Furthermore, this paper examines the advantages and limitations of the Air Factories 2.0 platform for the future of advanced manufacturing across various domains.