Financial services firms prefer straight through processing. For manufacturers, the gap between automated production and manual billing creates inefficiencies that blockchain-based payments could address. Siemens questions why straight through processing can’t happen in industry as well, especially with 3D printing. The company partnered with Accenture to explore how to achieve this with the digital euro.
The two companies were among more than 70 firms to join the European Central Bank’s digital euro innovation platform unveiled in May 2025. The trial involved connecting a 3D printer from the Siemens Additive Manufacturing Network to a digital euro smart contract. Each milestone triggered a payment, including split payments to compensate manufacturers, material suppliers and logistics partners.
Heiko Nix, Global Head of Cash Management and Payments, viewed the advantages as 24/7 real-time programmable payments, without the need to switch between forms of money (which stablecoins would require). However, it’s worth noting that given the digital euro is likely to have holding limits, it probably will involve some kind of switching, but likely by an existing banking partner.
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