A Decade of Research at the Intersection of Additive Manufacturing and Wearable Technology : A Bibliometric Analysis (2015–2025)

Celik, H. Kursat and Şahin, Samet and Rennie, Allan E. W. and Caglayan, Nuri and Akinci, Ibrahim (2026) A Decade of Research at the Intersection of Additive Manufacturing and Wearable Technology : A Bibliometric Analysis (2015–2025). Biosensors, 16 (3): 172. ISSN 2079-6374

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Wearable Technologies (WT) have rapidly evolved over the past decade. AM offers highly customisable fabrication, while WT enables minimally invasive health monitoring. The intersection of these fields presents emerging opportunities in biomedical and engineering domains. This study aims to map the scientific landscape of AM–WT research between 2015 and 2025 through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. A total of 718 peer-reviewed publications were extracted from Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and PubMed, following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Using RStudio and the Bibliometrix package, analyses included co-authorship, citation trends, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic mapping. Custom author disambiguation scripts enhanced data quality and reliability. An annual publication growth of 24.89% was observed, with notable increases after 2020. Core themes included 3D printing, biosensors, microfluidics, and organ-on-a-chip devices. A shift from manufacturing-oriented research to biomedical integration is evident. Research output is dominated by the US, China, and South Korea, with moderate but not yet highly internationalised collaboration. The field of AM–WT research is undergoing a decisive transition from fabrication-focused studies to interdisciplinary, application-driven innovations. This shift is marked by increasing integration in healthcare and bioelectronics, yet hindered by regional imbalances and thematic gaps. Addressing these will be critical to advancing global impact. This study offers a cross-database bibliometric overview of AM–WT research. By combining three major data sources, it provides enhanced coverage and introduces novel analytical dimensions to guide future interdisciplinary efforts in personalised healthcare and wearable device innovation.