● Entering the high-value aerospace and defense components market with South Korea’s first commercialization of the technology
● Strengthening its competitive edge in high-barrier, high-precision additive manufacturing through deep-tech capabilities

INNOSPACE announced that it has become the first in South Korea to commercialize an advanced metal additive manufacturing process that produces high-precision titanium components without support structures, accelerating its expansion into advanced deep tech manufacturing.

The technology enables the efficient production of complex curved structures, such as spherical and dome-shaped components, reducing both time and cost. It is expected to transform manufacturing approaches for key aerospace and defense components, including satellite propellant tanks. The achievement is particularly notable as it extends the company’s advanced technological capabilities accumulated through the development of its ‘HANBIT’ launch vehicle into commercial manufacturing applications.

In conventional metal additive manufacturing processes, internal support structures are typically required to prevent deformation during fabrication. This results in increased post-processing, longer production times, and limitations in design freedom. INNOSPACE has successfully secured product quality and structural stability without support structures by applying advanced process control technologies, even within standard laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) environments. The company also addressed key technical challenges associated with titanium materials, which are prone to thermal distortion and require highly sophisticated process control.

INNOSPACE supplied high-precision, high-reliability components produced using this process to a domestic aerospace company in December last year, completing real-world application and validation. By significantly reducing post-processing steps, the technology reduced manufacturing time by 2.5 times and costs by up to 40%. Enhanced design freedom also enables lightweighting and performance optimization, allowing the company to more reliably meet customer requirements in aerospace transportation and defense applications.

Metal additive manufacturing is a high-value deep tech capable of producing complex structures in a single process. According to a report by Wohlers Associates, the global additive manufacturing market is projected to grow from $21.9 billion in 2024 to $145.2 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 15–20%.

“The advanced metal manufacturing sector is characterized by high technological entry barriers and stringent quality verification standards, making it a strategically important field where securing core technologies directly impacts scalability and profitability,” said Soojong Kim, Founder and CEO of INNOSPACE. “Building on our additive manufacturing capabilities developed through launch vehicle programs, we will accelerate expansion into high-value markets, including aerospace, defense, and satellite structures, and strengthen our competitive position in the global market.”

▲ Dome-shaped titanium high-pressure tank produced using a support-free additive manufacturing (3D printing) process ▲ Comparison of conventional additive manufacturing processes (left) and advanced support-free additive manufacturing processes (right)