As part of the rapid.tech 3D trade fair in Erfurt, the 3D Pioneers Challenge (3DPC) celebrated its tenth anniversary with a comprehensive exhibition and a high-profile awards ceremony. The event offered a structured review of outstanding projects from previous years of the competition and demonstrated their current relevance for research and industrial applications in additive manufacturing. Under this year’s guiding theme “Where did the journey lead?”, the development of long-standing finalists was highlighted in particular.
A central element of the anniversary edition was the exhibition with 33 international projects representing various fields of application for additive technologies – from functional architecture to biofabrication and digital product design. The program was complemented by a panel discussion with industry representatives, including Karsten Heuser from Siemens Digital Industry, who analyzed the transformation of the AM landscape over the last ten years. In particular, the increasing interlinking of generative design, material development and the digital process chain was discussed.
The highlight of the event was the awarding of the title “Pioneer of the Decade” to the Israeli DVIR Labs. The project, a heart additively manufactured entirely from stem cells, was recognized as an exemplary milestone in the field of bioprinting. The jury emphasized the potential of such developments for regenerative medicine and highlighted the importance of biomimetic structures and precise cell placement. The DVIR Lab will also be represented with an article in the upcoming specialist book “pushing boundaries”, which will be published by avedition Verlag in 2025.
At the end of the anniversary, the initiators Simone and Christoph Völcker looked back on a particularly moving edition of the 3DPC: “It was wonderful to see how the 3D Pioneers Challenge community came together again in Erfurt – familiar faces from previous years, old and new companions. The personal exchanges, the reunions and the many conversations showed that the platform is alive – thanks to the people who use their ideas to provide impetus and help shape the future.”
With its anniversary, the 3DPC underlined its role as an interface between research, design and industry. The competition remains a relevant platform for the visualization of technological potential and the networking of innovative players in the field of additive manufacturing.
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