On August 27, 2026, 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) announced the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). Under the agreement, 3D Systems equipment has been installed at SRNL's Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC), the only national laboratory-operated facility of its kind in South Carolina, with supporting infrastructure upgrades and on-site additive manufacturing experts. The collaboration will focus on six key areas: materials development, equipment enhancement, AI/machine learning-driven process optimization, manufacturing systems, cybersecurity, and workforce development, with a primary emphasis on nuclear energy applications. Specifically, the partners aim to leverage AM to produce complex components that are difficult or impossible to manufacture using conventional methods, including radiation-resistant materials such as high-temperature nickel-based superalloys, complex heat exchangers with internal cooling channels, reactor internals, pumps, and valves—serving advanced reactors, fusion energy, power generation equipment, and the modernization of U.S. energy infrastructure. According to IEA projections, small modular reactor (SMR) installed capacity could reach 40 GW by 2050 under current policies and up to 120 GW in an accelerated scenario. The dual tracks of nuclear energy and national security create an institutional growth market for high-end metal powders. For powder buyers, this represents: (1) increased demand for high-temperature nickel-based alloy powders and radiation-resistant material powders driven by nuclear AM component requirements; (2) long-term, stable orders for nuclear-grade powders as SMR deployment scales; and (3) the need to monitor certification requirements for nuclear-grade materials (e.g., ASME Section III) and their implications for powder supplier qualifications.