The picture shows the world’s first 3D printed concrete bridge in the Netherlands. Image source: Scientific American monthly magazine official website

The picture shows the future blueprint of 3D printed buildings. Image source: Mega.online

Rendering of the world’s first 3D printing school in Madagascar. Image source: World Economic Forum official website

　　Today viewpoint

　　Bridges are common in Holland, which is famous for its canals. But there are four bridges that are particularly strange: each one is 26 feet long, and they are all made of concrete by a large 3D printer. The bridge built in this way is the first in the world, and it was born on October 17th, 2017 in the southern Dutch town of Gemert.

　　From the desktop to the construction site, 3D printing, as a part of the technological revolution, has achieved the goal of extruding plastics and other materials into solid objects. Since 2017, several companies in the United States, Europe and Asia have "printed" bus stops, bus shelters and conference hall partitions, and even entire houses.

　　In the future, the application of 3D printing is not limited to the construction industry. In the fields of education, disaster relief and medical care, the concept of technology benefiting mankind will be fully reflected in 3D printing.

　　3D printing, the "all-rounder" of the construction industry

　　3D building printers work much like inkjet printers in home offices, except that they spit out concrete instead of ink.

　　The nozzle runs back and forth on the track, and the extrusion mode is controlled by the computer, so that an inch thick layer of concrete (or steel, or other materials) can be accurately laid where needed. When the slowly moving nozzle reaches the end of its path (up to 100 feet), this layer is usually hardened, just enough to put another layer on top of the first layer. Layer after layer, a wall needed by the family was built. Through accurate deposition patterns, nozzles can also leave space for windows, doors, utility pipes and other designs and structures.

　　Scientific American reported that one of the most obvious advantages of 3D printing architecture is its high speed. It takes about 24 hours to print a 500-square-foot single-story house.

　　Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON, a company in Texas, USA, said: "When building a house, 3D printers will consider its structure, insulation, wallboard, internal and external surface treatment and piping system." In general, "it usually takes 20 people representing five or six different industries to work for several days".

　　In addition, 3D printed buildings also reduce waste.

　　It is reported that a typical residential construction site will produce about 4 tons of garbage. Because the concrete used in conventional floor construction is uniformly applied, it will be wasted by about half whether it needs structural support in a specific area or not. This is particularly damaging to the environment, because cement, as the main component of concrete, accounts for about 7% of our carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast, 3D printers can change the thickness of the structure very accurately, and only use concrete where it is really needed. This process is called topology optimization.

　　Digitization of the printed structure is another advantage of 3D printing. This means that the design presented on the computer can be directly converted into the instructions of the printer. This eliminates the need to convert the design into drawings, thus reducing unnecessary mistakes and troubles, thus saving costs and reducing delays.

　　Digitalization has an additional benefit, that is, it eliminates the obstacles to design creativity. Architects can provide customized or semi-customized designs at a lower cost without bothering to train others to implement the plan.

　　"The printer doesn’t care what design you come up with." Theo Salete, a structural engineer at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, said that he was a pioneer in printing architecture and built the Amsterdam Bridge in the Netherlands. "It won’t charge you more for your originality.".

　　Technology is still in its early stages.

　　Of course, Scientific American reported that the technology of 3D printing building is still in the early stage. To expand the scale of 3D printing building, more work needs to be done in technology and supervision. For the former, practitioners have not found an effective method to reinforce concrete from the printing press. In traditional buildings, this is done by laying steel bars.

　　Salete believes that the biggest vision for 3D printing architecture is to have new concrete formula or new extrudable materials in the future, which are strong enough without steel bars. For example, epoxy resin is a potential candidate. It is a polymer that is currently used to make adhesives and coatings in buildings.

　　Guidelines and construction procedure rules for quality inspection of 3D printed houses also need to be finalized. Salete warned that if inexperienced and careless builders come into contact with printers, their buildings may be in danger of collapse.

　　Nowadays, 3D printing architecture is an "insignificant event", which is low-key and low-cost.

　　For example, ICON printed a house in Austin, Texas, USA, which was designed for families and cost $10,000. Then, the company also plans to bring a printer to Latin America and build 50 low-cost houses there.

　　At the same time, Salete is about to start building a 90-foot-high bridge in Amsterdam, and will also cooperate with others to build several houses in the Netherlands.

　　Scientific American reported that although this technology is still in its early stage, commercial 3D printing construction machines may fundamentally change the construction industry in the next decade. Experts believe that they can shorten the construction time by half, reduce the cost by as much as one third, and provide more environmentally friendly and sturdy designs, as well as more customization space.

　　According to the data of Polaris Market Research Company, with the development of this technology, it is estimated that by 2026, the global 3D printing construction market will expand from 4.6 million US dollars in 2019 to 14.9 billion US dollars.

　　Education, disaster relief and medical care … … 3D printing can be expected in the future.

　　Official website, the World Economic Forum, reported on February 19th that Think Huts, a non-profit organization, cooperated with Studio Mortazavi, an architectural design company, to establish the world’s first 3D printing school on the campus of Fianarantsoa University.

　　Through the 3D printing school solution, more children are provided with educational opportunities, which solves the problem of insufficient investment in physical infrastructure.

　　The benefits of science and technology are reflected in the 3D printing technology. In addition to the construction industry, it is reported that 3D printers will be increasingly used in all walks of life, from the production of consumer goods such as sunglasses to industrial products such as auto parts. In the education industry, 3D modeling can be used to bring educational ideas into life and help children develop practical skills, such as programming.

　　In Mexico, 3D printing has built a 46-square-meter house in Tabasco State, including kitchen, living room, bathroom and two bedrooms, which will be open to some of the poorest families in the state.

　　This technology has also proved to be crucial in disaster relief. According to the British "Guardian" report, when an earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, as part of the rescue work, a 3D printer installed on Land Rover was used to help repair Nepal’s water pipes.

　　In addition, 3D printing has also been successfully applied in the medical field. In Italy, when a hospital in Lombardy, the hardest hit area of COVID-19, was in short supply, the startup Issinova printed 3D ventilator valves for COVID-19 patients.

　　Xinhua News Agency, Washington, February 6 (Reporter Xiong Maoling, Hu Yousong) Thomas Hoelbling, deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency a few days ago that with the optimization and adjustment of China’s epidemic prevention policy, China’s personal consumption has further recovered and its confidence in economic growth is increasing.China’s current economic resilience lies in its high household savings rate, macro-policy boost and strong development momentum.

　　In the update of the World Economic Outlook Report released by the IMF on January 30th, the forecast of China’s economic growth this year was greatly raised to 5.2%, which was 0.8 percentage points higher than the forecast in October last year. IMF predicts that China’s economy will continue to grow by 4.5% next year.

　　Hoelbling said that in the past three years,Compared with investment, export and other fields, China’s personal consumption has been greatly affected, benefiting from the optimization and adjustment of epidemic prevention policies to the greatest extent..This is especially reflected in the service field, such as the obvious increase in the number of tourists during the Spring Festival. At the same time, due to the slight improvement in the global economic environment and the accumulation of household savings in China,It is expected that the consumption of consumers in China will greatly increase.

　　In Zhaoguang Farm Co., Ltd., Bei ‘an Branch of Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group Co., Ltd., workers are busy on a soybean pile in threshing ground (photo taken on October 20, 2022). Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jianwei photo

　　Hoelbling believes that,Current data have shown that consumer confidence in China has increased and consumption has recovered.. The population movement in the second half of December last year and the first three weeks of January this year was stronger than expected by the IMF, and the increase in liquidity is one of the prerequisites for the increase in consumption and one of the signs of increased confidence.

　　Hoelbling said,China’s economic resilience is reflected in three aspects.First, the high level of savings at the family level can play a buffering role; Second, the government has room for policy adjustment in order to respond under different circumstances; Third, the potential economic growth rate is high, and the overall economic development momentum is strong.

　　The update of IMF’s World Economic Outlook Report raised the global economic growth forecast this year from 2.7% in October last year to 2.9%. Among the major economies, the economic growth rate of the United States is expected to be 1.4% and 1% this year and next, and the growth rate of the euro zone is expected to be 0.7% and 1.6% respectively.

　　Hoelbling pointed out that,China’s stronger economic growth this year and next will contribute to the global economic recovery., especially in the service industry. Compared with the past two years, the improvement of global tourism and aviation industry will be the biggest change in the short term.

　　Tourists watch circus performances in Guangzhou Changlong Tourist Resort (photo taken on December 31, 2022). Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Dawei photo

　　Hoelbling said that increased consumption is expected to become an important source of economic growth in China, and the current economic recovery is in line with the long-term balanced development trend of China’s economy.

　　Hoelbling believes that looking at the medium and long-term development prospects of China’s economy, accelerating structural reform, further opening up the market and promoting innovation will help to meet the challenges such as demographic trends and further enhance the potential economic growth rate. (Editor: Wang Pei, Cui Shiyu (intern); Editor: Wang Kewen, Diao Ze, He Ying, Du Jing, Xu Chao, Deng Qian)

　　Produced by Xinhua News Agency International Department

　　Produced by Xinhua News Agency’s International Communication Integration Platform

　　(Reporter Zhu Yingxi) As a high-tech batch with the highest proportion of admissions and covering the largest number of colleges and candidates, the annual centralized admission of ordinary batches of undergraduate courses in Shanghai is always the most concerned by the public. The reporter learned from the Shanghai Education Examinations Institute yesterday that the admission of ordinary batches of undergraduate colleges in 2019 will be completed today. Statistics show that there are more than 500 colleges and universities and more than 1,000 colleges and universities’ professional groups participating in the centralized enrollment of undergraduate courses in this city this year, and the number of students enrolled accounts for three-quarters of all undergraduate enrollment plans this year, among which the number of students enrolled in colleges and universities in this city accounts for about two-thirds.

　　"This year, the centralized admission of undergraduate ordinary batches in this city is generally stable." Zheng Fangxian, dean of the Shanghai Education Examinations Institute, said that this is mainly manifested in two aspects: First, the voluntary satisfaction rate and the success rate of Shanghai candidates are constantly improving; Second, the admission scores of colleges and universities and the ranking of admission candidates are relatively stable.

　　At the same time, in the process of recruiting ordinary batches of undergraduate courses in Shanghai this year, some gratifying new signs have begun to emerge.

　　Many foreign key universities are popular with candidates in Shanghai.

　　If the score of 550 points in the college entrance examination is taken as the observation benchmark, the Shanghai candidates represented by this score rank about 5,100, ranking in the top 10%. Zheng Fangxian introduced that Tongji University, East China Normal University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai International Studies University, China Renmin University (including Suzhou Campus), Nankai University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, etc. all colleges and universities have admission scores above this year, and some colleges and universities have admission scores above 500, including China Communication University, Shandong University, Chongqing University and Sichuan University.

　　These universities, which are popular among Shanghai candidates, are all well-known top universities in China without exception, and represent China’s higher education in their respective fields or comprehensive level.

　　At the same time, many foreign key universities or "double-class" universities have also been continuously favored by Shanghai candidates, and their admission scores have improved significantly. For example, the admission scores of beijing university of chemical technology, Capital University of Economics and Business, Fuzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Yunnan University, Lanzhou University and other universities have all increased by 5 points or even 10 points.

　　"This is rare in such a flat voluntary reporting and admission environment. It can be said that candidates’ pursuit of academic and training quality has surpassed the restrictions of pure geography, which is a very gratifying and encouraging phenomenon." Zheng Fangxian said.

　　Clinical medicine has become a "hot potato", and the admission scores of some "minority" schools have increased.

　　Judging from the admission of professional groups in many colleges and universities, one of the highlights this year is that the admission scores of clinical medicine majors continue to rise.

　　It is reported that in addition to high-end or geographically advantageous institutions such as Naval Military Medical University, Southern Medical University and Chongqing Medical University, many medical-related majors in ordinary colleges and universities are increasingly valued by candidates. For example, Hebei Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xinxiang Medical College, Kunming Medical University, Xiangnan College, etc., the admission scores of both eight-year clinical medicine majors and five-year clinical medicine majors have improved significantly this year, and the admission scores of some colleges or majors have increased by 20 to 30 points.

　　In Zheng Fangxian’s view, this signal reflects the rational thinking of current candidates on future career development.

　　It is worth noting that this year, Shanghai University of Electric Power was upgraded to a university. Many people speculated that the admission score line might be significantly improved this year, but the observation was limited. In addition, the admission scores of Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Theatre Academy, which are relatively "minority", began to rise slowly, with an increase of about 10 points compared with two years ago.

　

　 　 Special feature of 1905 film network 　This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and the cooperation in film has also increased significantly. The discussion upsurge aroused by Don’t Mess with Me, Superbody and Nightingale here has just subsided, and Wolf Totem directed by jean jacques annaud there will meet the audience again on New Year’s Day. Recently, it was reported that another Sino-French co-production film "Night Peacock" starring Liu Yifei and Liu Ye will be launched in January next year, and it is ready to participate in the Cannes Film Festival next year.

　

　 　 In response to the upsurge of Sino-French film cooperation in 2014, 1905 Film Network interviewed Ningning, producer of Nightingale in China, Mark Gao, chairman of Jimei Film, jean jacques annaud, director of Wolf Totem, and Isabel Granchet, representative of the French Film Federation in Greater China, respectively, to deeply analyze the multi-faceted cooperation between Chinese and French films.

　

　 　 The first part of the honeymoon period of Sino-French films focuses on co-production projects, explaining in detail the rules and regulations, cultural frictions and cooperation tips in co-production between China and France.[Click to view]; The second part analyzes the influence of Sino-French cooperation on the world film pattern in detail, and shares France’s experience in maintaining its overseas influence under Hollywood cultural hegemony.[Click to view]. The last part focuses on the present situation and differences between the Chinese and French film industries, and discusses the future cooperation direction.

　

[Talking about China Market]

　

Box office confidence: French 66 million VS China 1.3 billion population base is there!

　

　 　 After breaking the box office record of 10 billion in 2011, China’s films have passed the 20 billion mark in just three years, and this year, they are going straight to 30 billion. As the world’s largest film market, the scale and frequency of movie viewing in China are rapidly increasing. Everyone says that China movies are now in the best era.

　

　 　 Ningning: The biggest advantage of China now is that it has a huge market with good prospects for future development. On the one hand, from the perspective of population base, French population is only over 60 million, while China has 1.2 billion and 1.3 billion, which is equivalent to 20 times. That’s like director Maitreya filming Butterfly in 2002. At that time, it was already about 100 million RMB at the box office in France. If the population ratio is such, it should be 1.2 billion in China, because the population base of China is here. On the other hand, our box office is growing rapidly. For example, it will be close to 3 million by now. We are still expanding, and more and more people go to the cinema to watch movies. This market potential is not available in France.

　

　 　 After signing this Sino-French co-production agreement in 2010, there are also many professional film and television companies eager to try the China market, but not many of them can really take steps to cooperate with China, and they are all waiting to see. Therefore, the appearance of movies like Nightingale is actually trying to promote more cooperation between Chinese and French movies in the future, so that everyone can see that this is promising, promising and exploring.

　

The soaring box office quota of 34 imported films has not increased the possibilities provided by emerging networks.

　

　 　 In recent years, although the types of films in China are obviously diversified, the genre elements are more stable and the co-production projects are increasing. However, Isabel still thinks that the annual share of 34 imported films greatly limits the viewing choices of China audiences. In her view, China audiences are more likely to choose online, and the importance of online video as the cinema market is becoming more and more obvious. The maximum number of people watching movies in cinemas is around 40 million, but the number of online clicks on the same movie usually exceeds 50 million (the number of pirated clicks is more difficult to estimate). The Internet market has gradually formed a new channel to realize the film copyright value. According to the current development trend, it is estimated that the online video market in China will reach RMB 36.6 billion by 2017.

　

　 　 Isabel: Because the market in China is getting bigger and bigger, producers and agencies all over the world will want to cooperate with China, whether they are co-productions or they want their films to be shown in China. However, despite the huge market in China, the number of imported films has not increased correspondingly. It turns out that our French films may be able to release 6 films in China every year, and there may be a little more than 11 films this year. However, this number is still relatively small, because we have about 200-250 films produced in France every year, and only a few of them can be released in China. Many of the films released are also co-productions of France and other countries, and more are English films than the films we make the most. There are still many French companies looking for more possibilities.

　

　 　 Now there is a new market in China, the Internet market, so some companies are talking with various video websites in China to see what new possibilities there are. Because the cinema is unlikely, the internet and TV will be more likely. They also buy a lot of French movies every year. Network is a new market and an international market. There are so many audiences in China, and some people either have no time to go to the cinema or the time is not suitable, so it is also a good way to communicate with the audience, which is also very important.

　

Is it really a good thing that hot money is pouring in urgently? Jean jacques annaud warned to see the danger.

　

　 　 Jean jacques annaud: When I started this project six years ago, the number of cinemas in China was about half that in France. Now, the number of cinemas in China is more than five times that in France, which is a phenomenal increase. This phenomenon has both its good side and its bad side. On the bright side, audiences in China have more opportunities to enter cinemas, and filmmakers in China have more funds. But the danger is that too many films are made in a hurry, and the quality is not so good, which will also affect the overall impression of China. You know that money is precious. When you invest money in movies, you should make the best movies possible, at least try. The danger I see now is that people are satisfied with the money instead of the movie, which leads consumers to dislike the movie in the end.

　

　 　 This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, which was the first country in Europe to establish diplomatic relations with China 50 years ago. In the French education system, China has always been very special, and we have always had a strong interest in China. When I was a child, the school education was that China was a great country with a strong cultural foundation and a splendid history. We also saw that there was much progress in Sino-French cooperation this year, and Wolf Totem was regarded as a "celebration" at the end of this year. But everything will continue. China has not been particularly well understood yet. The cinema is a place.Let foreigners know more about China.Very important place. Now when I talk about China in France, they will think that I am promoting China, but I am not. I am just describing what I saw in China, but their impression is still in the 1960s.