Staying ahead of 3D printed firearms: workshop

Overview

This workshop delivered by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Counter Terrorism Policing will bring together experts from academia, industry and national security to discuss the threat from 3D printed firearms. We will explore current routes of dissemination and deployment of 3D printed firearms, the communities that build them, the technology that underpins their production and relevant mitigation, prevention and system-level intervention.

We invite participation from those with expertise in research areas including, but not limited to:

• materials science
• engineering
• design and manufacturing (including additive manufacturing)
• forensics
• sensing, detection and instrumentation
• cyber-physical systems
• online activity and cybersecurity
• artificial intelligence
• robotics and autonomous systems
• computational modelling
• applied mathematics or mathematical modelling
• criminology
• psychology
• behavioural Science
• sociology (group dynamics and power structures)
• transnational security, governance and geopolitics

We envisage the workshop will discuss current and future challenges in this space including, but not limited to:

• production and capability of 3D printed firearms
• detection, monitoring and identification of 3D printed firearms
• design proliferation and online ecosystems
• state, non-state and hybrid active threats
• mitigation, prevention and system-level intervention

All participants may be required to share personal information to enable security screening before they can attend this workshop. 

How UK Research and Innovation will use your personal data
The personal data you give us will be used to design and deliver a workshop about staying ahead of the future technology of 3D printed firearms. Your personal data will be handled in line with UK Data Protection legislation and managed securely. The personal information that you provide on this form will be used for the processing of your application. The information will be viewed by EPSRC and Counter Terrorism Policing for the purpose of the shortlisting exercise, and the design, delivery and evaluation of the workshop. Your information will not be used/shared for any other purpose without your specific consent. For further information, including how to exercise your data protection rights, please see our privacy notice: https://www.ukri.org/privacy-notice
If you have any questions please contact resilienceandsecurity@epsrc.ukri.org. 

Why your views matter

This one-day in-person workshop in London on Monday 16 March 2026 will give researchers direct access to national security and law enforcement specialists working at the forefront of this field. This will enable them to shape, inform, and align current and future research with real-world emerging societal and technological challenges. Please note that there is no targeted funding opportunity associated with this workshop.

Please fill in this form to express an interest in attending. If you have any questions about the process or the structure of the workshop please contact us via resilienceandsecurity@epsrc.ukri.org. 

We will conduct a shortlisting exercise and let you know whether your expression of interest has been successful no later than 2 March 2026.