New Delhi, Mar 5 (IANS): HP Inc India on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for 3D printing in the state.

For the CoE for Additive Manufacturing (AM), powered by HP's 3D printing technology, the pact was inked with the Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) and the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB).

"We believe HP's cutting-edge 3D printing technology will fuel innovation in manufacturing and help upskill young professionals to make them ready for Industry 4.0 in the state," Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP Inc India, said in a statement.

HP India will be the key knowledge provider for this initiative. The CoE would be equipped with 3D printers that can handle short run production and functional prototyping.

APIS would provide infrastructural support and enable necessary certifications and accreditations while APEDB will drive and encourage the usage of the CoE by government departments, defence and public sector enterprises.

The 3D printing centre would give small and medium businesses (SMBs) and start-ups in Andhra Pradesh an opportunity to learn more about the benefits of Additive Manufacturing.

"Manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh has great potential as a lot of demand is slated to come from domestic consumption. Andhra Pradesh's impetus in automotive, electronics and aerospace makes technologies like 3D printing market-ready," said J. Krishna Kishore, CEO, APEDB.

HP introduced its Jet Fusion 4200 3D Printing solutions -- capable of printing functional parts 10 times faster, at half the cost -- in India last year.

In January, HP launched Jet Fusion 300/500 series of colour 3D printers to enable manufacturers to produce engineering-grade, functional parts in full colour, black or white.