Siemens is investing €30 million (£26m) in a 3D printing factory in the UK.

It will make the investment through Material Solutions, a company it bought in 2016, with the project expected to create 50 new manufacturing jobs in Worcester.

The firm specialises in 3D printing – also called Additive Manufacturing (AM) – and serves the automotive, aviation and motor sports sectors.

AM involves making a three-dimensional object by adding ultra-thin layers of material one by one, following a digital design, in contrast to conventional manufacturing where excess material is cut away.

Siemens believes AD opens up “new attractive prospects” in the manufacture of gas turbines, with its first 3D-printd gas turbine blades completed last year.

Willi Meixner, CEO of Siemens Power and Gas Division said: “This significant investment underlines our belief that there is huge potential for innovation and growth within the Additive Manufacturing sector. It is also the next step towards achieving our ambition of pioneering the industrialisation of this exciting new technology and demonstrates how we are leading the way for the fourth industrial revolution.”