Sichuan Province's 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly names additive manufacturing as a strategic emerging industry

Sichuan Province has formally included additive manufacturing as a strategic emerging industry in its 15th Five-Year Plan, published on April 13, 2026. The plan's Chapter 8, under a dedicated column for emerging industries, outlines a full value-chain roadmap covering high-performance metal powders, nylon resins, and ceramic materials; 3D printing equipment validation and component supply chain development; and targeted applications in aerospace and medical devices. To anchor this push, three national-level events — the 2026 Additive Manufacturing Industry Development Forum, the International Additive Manufacturing Technology and Application Ecosystem Exhibition, and the inaugural additive manufacturing track of the 'Maker China' SME innovation competition — will be held concurrently in Luzhou City in November 2026, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Equipment Industry Development Center.

This is a textbook case of the Chinese localization arc pattern: a provincial government deploying top-down industrial policy to build a complete additive manufacturing ecosystem from materials through equipment to end-use applications. Sichuan is positioning Luzhou as the province's designated primary AM industry hub, leveraging existing aerospace and medical device manufacturing clusters in the region. The move mirrors similar provincial-level AM strategies in Shaanxi (aerospace-focused) and Guangdong (consumer electronics-focused), but Sichuan's explicit linkage of upstream material supply, midstream equipment reliability, and downstream high-value verticals is unusually comprehensive for a provincial plan. The concurrent hosting of a national forum, an official trade show, and a startup competition signals an intent to accelerate both technology transfer and talent pipeline development in a compressed timeframe.

For the AM industry, the practical implication is straightforward: Sichuan is creating a structured procurement and qualification pathway for AM suppliers targeting China's western aerospace and medical markets. Companies that can demonstrate localized material supply chains and validated equipment performance for Ti-6Al-4V, nickel superalloys, and medical-grade polymers will find a receptive policy environment. The November events in Luzhou will serve as the first concrete test of whether this policy framework translates into actual procurement programs and qualification standards.