By Josef Průša

When we talk about national security, most people think of hackers, data leaks, or hostile cyberattacks. Few would imagine that something as ordinary as a 3D printer could pose a similar danger.

From aerospace parts to prosthetics and drones, 3D printers have transformed how we design, prototype and manufacture. They can make change possible in hours rather than months, at a fraction of the traditional cost.

But as we celebrate this revolution, we also need to keep in mind one critical fact: do we control the hardware - or the software - that drives it?

In the last few years, China has quietly seized almost the entire global market. Chinese manufacturers now produce more than 90 per cent of the world’s desktop 3D printers.

This was no accident. Beijing has listed additive manufacturing as a strategic emerging industry under its Made in China 2025 plan, flooding the sector with subsidies and pushing independent producers out of business.

It was an economic win and even more so, a geopolitical one.

Because dominance over production brings something even more valuable: access to........

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