On August 19, 2026, South Korean additive manufacturing company LincSolution launched a three-year international joint research project to develop mass-production technology for metal 3D-printed heat pump components (monolithic microchannel heat exchangers), targeting AI data center cooling and EV thermal management markets. The project, 'Development of Next-Generation Heat Pump Miniaturization Technology,' runs from July 2026 to June 2029, is supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) with a total budget of KRW 3.4 billion, and is led by Chung-Ang University with participation from LG Electronics, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), Kookmin University, and Michigan State University. LincSolution is responsible for validating the mass-production feasibility of core additively manufactured components—metal 3D printing enables monolithic forming of microchannels and complex structures, meeting the compact and high-efficiency heat exchange requirements driven by the flammability of low-GWP refrigerants (R290 propane). Value for powder buyers: ① AI data center liquid cooling represents a new growth application for metal additive manufacturing; heat pump/heat exchanger parts with complex internal flow channels are difficult to produce via conventional machining and welding, and the shift to AM mass production will drive demand for corresponding metal powders and wire feedstock. ② LincSolution's Daejeon AM Foundry mass-production platform (at full capacity by 2027) is a downstream demand signal for Korea's metal AM scale-up, worth tracking for powder suppliers. ③ Low-GWP refrigerant (R290) policy is driving heat pump miniaturization, with heat exchange performance achieved through complex flow channel geometries, highlighting the value of the metal LPBF microchannel heat exchanger approach.