The future of custom manufacturing : Europe looking to take a lead

Purpose – To provide a concise briefing on the most topical issues and relevant implications from the top 400 management publications in the world. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the argument in context. Findings – Within just a few years, a European project is aiming to have broken new ground in rapid manufacturing and so transform the way some products are made. The vision of the custom‐fit program is to develop a new fully integrated manufacturing process where complex customized end products will be “printed” from unique combinations of different materials, using machines capable of varying the grade and type of the material within a single component. Originality/value – Provides implementable strategies and practical thinking that has influenced some of the world's leading organizations.