Collaborative project risks when dealing with supply chain actors handling contractual intellectual property for additive manufacturing applications

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Adu-Amankwa, Kwaku and Rentizelas, Athanasios and Daly, Angela and Corney, Jonathan and Wodehouse, Andrew (2025) Collaborative project risks when dealing with supply chain actors handling contractual intellectual property for additive manufacturing applications. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 59 (10). pp. 2262-2267. ISSN 2405-8963 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2025.09.380)

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Abstract

In the modern era, where technology is integral to our lives and drives collaborative information sharing, concerns over data ownership remain prevalent. This issue is particularly evident in additive manufacturing, where collaborative projects often involve multiple supply chain actors. These collaborations introduce unique challenges, especially in intellectual property management and contractual agreements. This paper explores the risks of handling intellectual property in these collaborative environments, focusing on the complex interactions between supply chain actors that could compromise intellectual property security in additive manufacturing applications. Through a survey of key stakeholders, the paper presents the views of experts that aid in identifying which additive manufacturing process streams and contractual intellectual property assets are most vulnerable to risks of being compromised when dealing with specific supply chain actors. The findings emphasise the importance of establishing robust contractual structures, clear information and parts exchange protocols, and well-defined intellectual property management practices to ensure successful, risk-minimised collaborations in additive manufacturing projects. Also, these results are anticipated to stimulate interest that informs further research and practice adjustments to advance co-creation, distributed manufacturing, and sustainable business models.

ORCID iDs

Adu-Amankwa, Kwaku ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8095-8416, Rentizelas, Athanasios ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5110-2467, Daly, Angela, Corney, Jonathan and Wodehouse, Andrew ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9605-3497;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)