The importance of the role of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in company, regional and national level manufacturing activities is becoming clearer as AM technologies mature and levels of adoption in a wide range of application areas increase. In response, many nations have developed national strategies (or ‘public technology strategies’) to help align public and private sector activities to address barriers to further development and adoption, and coordinate resources to address opportunities. This paper describes the process by which the UK developed its national strategy for AM. The operational details of the activities undertaken through four stages over the period 2014-2017 are explained and analysed. The aim of the paper is to share the details of how this strategy was developed – in a changing political and economic context – such that others involved in the development of similar strategies might learn from this experience.