From Selling Equipment to Building an Ecosystem: The Shift in Creality's Global Strategy Behind Its Forbes Recognition

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November 13, 2025 News 11526

From Selling Equipment to Building an Ecosystem: The Shift in Creality's Global Strategy Behind Its Forbes Recognition

In the global wave of consumer-grade 3D printing, one Chinese company's name is becoming increasingly familiar – Creality. Hailing from Shenzhen, this company has not only upgraded 3D printing from a "maker's toy" to a gateway for intelligent manufacturing but has also deeply embedded "Made in China" into the global industrial chain through its comprehensive ecosystem layout.

Recently, the Forbes China "2025 China Globalization 30&30" list was officially released. Creality successfully secured a spot in the "Top 30 Globalized Brands" category, recognized for its outstanding performance in the global 3D printing market, and stands as the only company on the list focused on building a consumer-grade 3D printing ecosystem.

From Equipment Export to Ecosystem Co-creation: A Case Study in Industry Globalization

Forbes highlighted in its selection process that the global expansion of Chinese enterprises has comprehensively evolved from the early stage of "product export" to "ecosystem co-creation." Creality is a typical representative of this trend. Over the past decade, the company has progressively built a complete 3D printing ecosystem encompassing equipment, materials, software, and community services.

Currently, Creality's product matrix covers multiple product lines including FFF 3D printers, resin printers, 3D scanners, and laser engravers. Its star products, such as the Creality K2 series, K1, and K1 Max, have repeatedly won German Red Dot Design Awards, demonstrating the product competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing in the international market thanks to their excellent industrial design and stable performance.

With the vision of being a "3D Printing Industry Evangelist," Creality aims to spread this spirit, bringing the convenience of technology to millions of households. The company is committed to building a complete ecosystem, creating a full-chain layout of "Equipment + Consumables + Accessories + Platform Services." Through the Creality Cloud platform, it connects over 4 million global users, achieving the upgrade from "selling products" to "building an ecosystem."

Global Layout: Dual Drivers of Localized Operations and Brand Identity

In terms of supply chain layout, Creality has established production bases spanning over 265,000 square meters in Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Huizhou. It has also set up overseas warehouses in key markets like the United States and Germany, with its products sold in more than 140 countries and regions.

More importantly, Creality continuously strengthens the emotional connection between its brand and users through deep localized operations:

In Africa, participating in prosthetic limb printing charity projects to help improve the lives of people with disabilities.

In Colombia, collaborating on the creation of public art installations.

At Australian Fashion Week, 3D printing served as a medium for designers to showcase their creativity.

These integrated practices of "technology + culture" have transformed Creality from merely a hardware supplier into a co-builder of the global maker ecosystem.

Open-Source Ecosystem: Building a Global Maker Community of 4 Million Users

As a nationally recognized "Little Giant" enterprise specializing in niche sectors and a leading manufacturer in specific segments, Creality consistently upholds a development philosophy centered on "open source and openness." Its "Creality Cloud" platform has connected more than 4 million users worldwide, fostering a dynamic community for sharing content and exchanging creative ideas.

In international markets, Creality maintains active and frequent engagement with users through platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit. The company has also partnered with prestigious universities, including Purdue University in the United States and the National University of Singapore, to jointly advance the adoption of 3D printing technology in education and foster innovation in scientific research.

Creality’s globalization journey offers an exemplary model for other Chinese smart manufacturing companies expanding overseas. Its success stems not only from the competitiveness of its hardware products but also from the establishment of a comprehensive ecosystem that includes equipment, materials, software, community, and services. This dual-driven approach—combining "Product + Ecosystem"—enables Chinese brands to integrate more deeply into the global innovation network.

As 3D printing technology continues to expand from professional applications into the consumer market, Creality’s ecosystem strategy is poised to unlock broader growth opportunities. Looking ahead, the global competition among Chinese 3D printing companies is likely to evolve fully from the "Equipment Going Global" phase into a new era of "Ecosystem Going Global."