Additive manufacturing platform Formnext 2026 sees early momentum from the global AM industry

Formnext 2026 is off to a strong start: 527 exhibitors from 34 countries had already registered by early March, reflecting sustained momentum in additive manufacturing. The event will once again bring together global AM players, new exhibitors and industrial users across the full process chain.

Following last year’s 10‑year anniversary and record visitor numbers, the outlook for Formnext 2026 at this stage of the year already looks bright, the organizers announce. As of the beginning of March 2026, 527 companies from 34 countries had already registered as exhibitors for the trade show for Additive Manufacturing (AM) and the next generation of modern production. These include the well‑known heavyweights among the leading international AM companies as well as a wide range of start-up, specialized, and more experienced solution providers along the entire additive process chain.

64.5 percent of the exhibitors registered to date hail from outside of Germany, with significant representation from the United Kingdom, China, France, Italy, Spain and the USA. According to Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at event organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt: “Despite an increasingly complex general economic climate, the world of AM continues to grow and still offers future-oriented business opportunities for stakeholders along the entire process chain.”

Leading international system manufacturers, such as 3D Systems, AMCM, Atlix (formerly Trumpf Additive Manufacturing), Bigrep, BLT, Carbon, Colibrium Additive, DMG Mori, Dye Mansion, Eos, Ex One (with Voxeljet), Farsoon, Formlabs, HBD, HP, Lithoz, Meltio, Nikon, Renishaw, Ricoh, Siemens, Sisma, Stratasys, and XJet, for example, will all be attending Formnext in 2026 to present their innovations to international industry professionals. Global material sales for Additive Manufacturing also continue to rise each year, reflecting the ever-growing use of Additive Manufacturing in diverse user industries. This trend benefits specialized AM material suppliers, such as DWS, Headmade Materials, Höganäs, m4p, Metalpine, and Polymaker, as well as international groups, such as Evonik, Linde, Sandvik, VDM Metals, and many more companies that will also be exhibiting at Formnext 2026.

Service providers are another important growth driver in the AM sector. These are playing an increasingly important role, particularly for smaller companies wishing to harness the advantages of Additive Manufacturing, but for which the low volumes and high certification costs preclude an investment in their own systems. This trend will also be reflected at Formnext 2026 with specialized AM service providers, such as 3D-Werk Black Forest, 3Faktur, Alphacam, FIT AG, FKM Sintertechnik, Materialise, Toolcraft and more all in attendance, as well as industrial companies, such as Krauss Maffei, KSB and Oerlikon, which also offer their AM expertise to external users. In addition, globally leading manufacturers of desktop 3D printers such as Bambu Lab, Creality, and Prusa will showcase their latest innovations, which are increasingly being used in industrial companies, SMEs, and print farms. The ‘prosumer’ segment continues to gain importance, as it helps many users take their first steps into professional Additive Manufacturing and facilitates the transition to large‑format, complex production solutions.

The versatility of the AM world is also underlined by the many new exhibitors from 21 different countries that have already registered, including start-ups, corporations, and associations. The services represented range from automation, software, design, and new production technologies to post-processing, cleaning, and quality assurance. There are also several service providers among the new exhibitors. “The variety of new exhibitors underscores the dynamic of the entire AM sector,” explains Petra Haarburger, President Mesago Messe Frankfurt. “It illustrates the relevance of a leading international trade show like Formnext in helping these often recently established companies to network, gain maximum visibility, and successfully gain a foothold in the industry.”

This year, Formnext is supporting the continued growth of the AM industry by focusing on specific user industries such as automotive, mobility and transportation, construction and architecture and energy, oil and gas. “Additive Manufacturing has become an integral part of all these user industries. As part of the production and, in many cases, optimization of functional components, it is helping to make spare parts logistics and supply chain management more efficient and also improves customer service,” explains Christoph Stüker, Vice President of Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt. “Because Additive Manufacturing is often complex, it usually requires the right solutions for the entire manufacturing process, including design, materials, AM manufacturing and post-processing. As the leading platform for Additive Manufacturing, Formnext provides a unique insight into these very solutions.”

This year’s partner country, the UK, will play an important role both in the exhibition with a host of innovative AM companies and the program of supporting events.

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