Additive manufacturing for operations and supply chain management: from technological promise to supply chain integration
本特刊汇集21篇论文，探讨增材制造在供应链中的采纳决策、韧性提升、备件数字化、移动制造、调度规划、服务平台及知识产权保护等主题，帮助学者了解该领域研究前沿。
Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a disruptive technology with the potential to reshape supply chain structures, enable on-demand production, and enhance resilience to disruptions. Yet its widespread adoption remains constrained by economic, operational, environmental, and intellectual property challenges. This special issue of the International Journal of Production Research brings together 21 papers that collectively advance the understanding of AM’s role in operations and supply chain management. The contributions are organised into seven thematic areas: AM adoption decisions, supply chain resilience, spare parts and digital inventory, mobile AM and integrated production–delivery systems, scheduling and production planning, AM service platforms, and security and IP protection. Spanning analytical models, qualitative field studies, systematic reviews, and design science research across sectors including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, energy, and defence, the collection illustrates that realising AM’s supply chain potential requires coordinated advances in technology, organisation, and supply chain design. This editorial introduces the special issue, synthesises the contributions, and identifies directions for future research.