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formnext, Press Release

Formnext Turns 10! And It’s Bigger, Bolder, and Brilliantly Additive Than Ever

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Frankfurt’s iconic tech mecca is lighting up the entire AM world with an expanded programme, more gadgets and gear than ever, and enough buzz to make even the most jaded engineer’s pulse quicken. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re heading to Formnext 2025 — or watching from afar.

Three Stages, One Purpose: Exploring AM’s Bright Future

Formnext 2025 isn’t just about rows of 3D printers humming away like digital sewing machines — though, let’s be honest, we do love that too. It’s about conversations that shape the future.

  • Application Stage (Hall 11.1): From rocket engines to robot arms and even orthopaedic orthoses (try saying that after a few Glühweins), this is where AM meets real-world problems. Focused firmly on cost-effective innovation, this stage is a must for SMEs looking to dip their toes into the world of 3D production.

  • Industry Stage (Hall 11.0): Topics like sustainability, Design for AM, and even AI-designed consumer goods take centre stage here. Highlights include a keynote retrospective on the last decade of AM and forward-looking discussions on decentralised production – a very big deal as global supply chains continue to shift.

  • Technology Stage (Hall 12.1): This is where the nerds (my people!) gather to go deep. Think DED tech, large-format plastic printing, and data-driven design. Pack a notebook.

New This Year: Tours, Livestreams &… a Quiz Show?

Formnext 2025 is not content with “business as usual”. The organisers have added a host of interactive new formats that are both educational and entertaining.

  • Guided AM Tours: Focusing on post-processing (a criminally underappreciated stage in AM), these 90-minute guided walks will be led by experts. Wednesday tours are in German, Thursday in English. No sign-ups, just first-come, first-served — so set an alarm.

  • Show and Telling LIVE: YouTube’s own 3D Printing Nerd will be broadcasting live on Tuesday. If you’ve ever wanted to geek out in real time with a global AM celeb, now’s your chance.

  • Ultimate Additive Quiz Show: Because why not have a game show for engineers? Expect equal parts trivia, tension, and titanium.

From Mechanical Marvels to Mushroom Mycelium: The Special Showcases

Here’s where Formnext really flexes its muscles. The 2025 edition will showcase AM in every industry you can imagine:

  • Additive4Industry (Hall 12.0): Mechanical engineering applications, brought to you by the VDMA.

  • BE-AM Symposium: Construction gets the AM treatment — and yes, that means 3D printed buildings.

  • AM Art Space: SUTOSUTO are back to blur the line between technology and art.

  • AM Innovation & Standards Summit (17 Nov): Standards, compliance, and certification may not be sexy — but they’re essential.

And let’s not forget the Start-up Area and Young Innovators Booth, where tomorrow’s biggest ideas take their first steps. If you’re an investor or just love spotting the next big thing, bring business cards.

Democratising 3D Printing

A real theme running through this year’s show is accessibility. Whether it’s via desktop 3D printers popping up in more industrial contexts or the Discover3DPrinting seminars for curious newcomers, Formnext is making AM approachable for businesses of all sizes.

There’s even a Career Area with job walls, professional headshots, and career advice — because nothing says “ready for your next move” like a headshot next to a 3D printed turbine blade.

The Formnext Awards – AM’s Red Carpet Moment

Awards aren’t just for Hollywood. The Formnext Awards shine a spotlight on groundbreaking technologies, bold young companies, and sustainable solutions — across six hotly contested categories. The twist? You get to help choose the winners via online voting. Cue the drama.

Partner Country 2025: Spain Steps Into the Spotlight

This year’s partner country is Spain, and it’s not just bringing paella and passion. With around 30 companies showcasing breakthroughs in AM systems, materials, and R&D, Spain is strutting its stuff on the global AM stage — and rightly so.

When, Where, and Why You Should Be There

Frankfurt am Main
18–21 November 2025
www.formnext.com/visitors

Whether you’re a long-time Formnext fanatic or a first-time visitor still figuring out what “DED” stands for, this year promises to be unforgettable. Ten years in, and Formnext shows no sign of slowing down — in fact, it’s evolving just as quickly as the technology it celebrates.

So dust off your best trade fair shoes, charge your phone (you’ll need it), and get ready to celebrate a decade of additive excellence.

Have you been to Formnext before? What are you most looking forward to this year? Drop your thoughts