In post-industrial urban economies, traditional manufacturing has significantly been replaced by more abstract jobs associated with conceptual, design and research activities. Uneven development has been accentuated, and the concentration of services, finance and creative sectors in certain centres has left urban economies more susceptible to recessions. Recently, propositions for sectoral diversification involving a putative manufacturing renaissance to improve resilience and growth gained momentum in media and academia. Some have even argued that this amounts to an Industrial Revolution associated with new technologies. Such propositions are influencing policymakers.
Yet, there is a lack of empirical evidence for these propositions. Addressing this gap in evidence, my research follows the case of activities which have emerged in London associated with 3D printing technology. This study was designed horizontally across sectors, and it employed both qualitative and quantitative methods.
Drawing on the evidence collected, I first argue that instead of reviving urban manufacturing, innovative manufacturing technology in post-industrialism supports abstract tasks, work processes and outputs of the creative and knowledge sectors. Findings showed that people use fabrication technology to improve design processes, expand consultancy, or create new software, rather than producing consumable goods. Second, I argue that technology alone does not change the geographies of production and innovation of post-industrialism. Findings showed new activities co-locating with creative, knowledge and digital clusters in the city core, responding to socio-cultural, labour and accessibility factors consistent with these sectors, regardless of the locational flexibility of the technology. Lastly, I argue that, despite evidence of 3D printing technology not generating an urban manufacturing revival, it can enhance growth and competitive advantage in post-industrial urban regions through the creation of new knowledge and innovation related to existing economic activities. Findings showed that 3D printing activities facilitated initial stages of product development, survival of start-up businesses, and collaborative work practices.