At the Formnext 2025 in Frankfurt, the winners of this year’s Formnext Awards were honored. In six categories, the trade fair recognized contributions that address additive manufacturing along the entire value chain – from education and design to high-volume production processes as well as safety and sustainability in 3D printing systems.
The AMbassador Award went to Irena Heuzeroth from the Plastics Center SKZ. The engineer is helping to drive forward the practice-oriented degree program “Certified Industrial Technician specializing in Additive Manufacturing,” which covers material selection, process parameters, machine technology, and energy and occupational safety along the entire process chain.
The Design Award was presented to the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Design for the hand therapy products “Grabbit.” The solutions combine 3D-printed TPU lattice structures and PA12 components with ash wood to adapt grip hardness and geometries to therapeutic applications.
Jury member Dr. Irene Skibinski, Expert Additive Manufacturing at the VDMA Working Group Additive Manufacturing, emphasized that “especially in the currently challenging economic situation, it is all the more important to invest in innovation and thus in well-trained AM specialists in order to make our industry fit for the future and competitive. The finalists for the AMbassador Award are doing outstanding work in this area and are making a significant contribution to advancing the field.”
Jury member Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Tessmann from Darmstadt Technical University said: “The submissions for the Design Award fascinate me every year, because everyone submits something – from large corporations to up-and-coming designers. In the end, however, what counts is the most exciting and relevant idea. The race is always wide open.”
The (R)Evolution Award went to Laempe Mössner Sinto for a binder jetting system that produces sand cores for high-volume production at the BMW Group. The system creates more than 1,100 cores per day and enables complex internal geometries in engine manufacturing without additional tooling or core gluing.
Jury member Prof. Jennifer Johns from the University of Bristol Business School said: “The (R)Evolution Award received a large number of high-quality submissions that demonstrated the applicability of additive manufacturing in various industries – to solve problems that cannot be addressed with conventional manufacturing methods.”
IAM3DHUB won the Rookie Award with the “3DMyMask” project, which uses 3D facial scans to derive customized silicone masks, for example to improve the treatment of breathing difficulties. PERFI Technologies received the Start-up Award for a volumetric 3D printing process in which volumes rather than layers are exposed, with the aim of reducing build times. The Sustainability Award went to EOS: a filter system neutralizes reactive byproducts of metal powder printing directly during the process and converts them into stable oxides that are easier to dispose of or recycle.
“The quality and diversity of this year’s submissions impressively demonstrate how additive manufacturing is driving innovation across industries and thereby unlocking an increasing number of new industrial applications,” said Dr.-Ing. Sascha Schwarz, CTO and Managing Director Additive Manufacturing at TUM Venture Labs and member of the jury for the Formnext Rookie and Start-up Awards. “The finalists for the Rookie Award represent the next generation of market-ready innovations that are only possible thanks to additive manufacturing. They stand out through technological and entrepreneurial pioneering spirit combined with a clear vision for the future of production.”
Jury member Alex Kingsbury, Product Line Manager – Additive Manufacturing at nLight, said: “The finalists for this year’s Formnext Start-up Awards embody the creativity, courage and technical excellence that are driving the next era of additive manufacturing. Their breakthroughs are not only promising, but also lay the foundation for significant changes in numerous industries.”
Jury member Sherri Monroe, Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association, said: “The submissions for the Sustainability Award were very strong. They were economically viable, addressed a wide range of application fields and ranged from highly specific technological advances to solutions with the potential for far-reaching economic impact.”
The award winners illustrate the directions in which additive manufacturing is evolving: more efficient qualification, new design approaches, scalable series production, and a stronger focus on health protection and resource conservation in 3D printing environments.
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