3D Systems To Buy Xerox's Oregon Product Design, Engineering And Chemistry Group

Looks like 3D Systems is continuing their spree of acquisitions.

Press Release:

3D Systems To Buy Xerox's Oregon Product Design, Engineering And Chemistry Group

12/18/2013 9:36 AM ET
3D Systems corp. (DDD: Quote) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Xerox Corp.'s (XRX: Quote) Wilsonville, Oregon product design, engineering and chemistry group and related assets for $32.5 million in cash.
Both companies expect the transaction to close before the end of 2013, subject to fulfillment of certain customary conditions.
The companies said that the agreement expands the decade and a half long collaboration between them, that already produced 3DS' best-selling ProJet series 3D printers.
As part of the agreement, 3DS expects to add more than 100 experienced Xerox engineers and contractors specializing in product design and materials science to its global R&D team and immediately begin to operate its own facility within the Xerox Wilsonville campus. Xerox will maintain ink and print head development resources along with research relevant for digital printing and the 3D markets.

In connection with this strategic investment, 3DS expects to progressively increase its annual R&D expenditures by approximately 75% to 100% over the next few years as it completes certain Xerox related engineering services commitments and fully leverages its expanded capabilities.

I just saw this! Seems like a nice acquisition on 3D Systems part. They have been working with Xerox for close to a decade on several projects, so this will allow them to acquire about 100 or so employees which know 3D Systems quite well. Seems like we have a race between Stratasys and 3D Systems for the largest 3D Printing company in the US. I'm just waiting to see if either of the two companies themselves are acquired by an HP, IBM, Google, Apple, etc.

Xerox has been working on a way to print circuitry for some time now. I think this partnership will be great for both 3D Systems and Xerox. We might end up seeing printable electronics within 4-5 years if all goes as planned for these two tech giants.

Well, technically there are already 3D printed electronics. Circuit boards have been 3D Printed already. It's just that nothing too complicated has been printed, and it's not something being mass produced. It's certainly exciting to see some big names entering the industry. Xerox, and soon Hewlett Packard. Who knows who will be next? Google, Apple, IBM, Intel?