The conference and trade fair Rapid.Tech 3D will present, for the first time in 2026, an Excellence Prize highlighting 3D printing applications with demonstrable benefits in industry. The call emphasizes the visibility of concretely implemented projects: “Excellence should be made visible,” the announcement states. Targeted are companies, collaborations, and start-ups from the DACH region that already use additive manufacturing in robust workflows and have achieved goals that would not have been possible with conventional methods—or only with disproportionate effort.
Organizationally, the prize builds on two decades of Rapid.Tech history; for years, the trade fair has positioned itself as a platform for knowledge transfer around additive processes. Applications can be submitted online free of charge until December 31, 2025. Eligible are projects and products in three focus areas that address key AM levers: performance enhancement through suitable process chains and material/parameter selection; cost reduction, for example via tool integration, reduction of residual materials, or rapid iteration; and design-optimized constructions with function-integrated geometries. The call specifies that “practice-proven projects or products” should be submitted whose metrics—such as unit costs, component stiffness, lead time, or scrap rate—demonstrate the added value of the additive route.
The selection process has two stages. A panel of experts will nominate up to nine entries; the community will then prioritize three finalists via online voting. These finalists will present their results at the Rapid.Tech 3D evening gala on May 6, 2026, followed by the award ceremony. The patron is Thuringia’s Minister President Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt, who is expected to present the awards.
From the perspective of many AM users, the focus on demonstrable effects is crucial: only validated process chains with robust data can be integrated into production planning, quality assurance, and supply chains. The Excellence Prize thus creates an incentive to document best-practice examples transparently—from qualified part approval to economic scaling.
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