Who Are the Finalists of the 2026 Formnext Awards?
A titanium implant tailored to a patient’s anatomy, an algorithim-designed bra, and a rocket engine manufactured as a single part. These projects may seem to have little in common, but they have all reached the finals of the 2026 Formnext Awards.
Organized within Formnext, the competition recognizes initiatives across six categories. These range from new additive manufacturing technologies to industrial applications, sustainability and education. The finalists have already been selected. They will present their projects at the trade fair in Frankfurt from November 17th to the 20th. Here, we’ll introduce you to this year’s contenders to help you choose your favorites!
AMbassador Award
The three finalists in this category promote the additive manufacturing ecosystem in different ways. Dr. Michael Kraemer from the AM Center at the Technical University of Darmstadt trains future specialists. Professor Leroy Gardner and his team at Imperial College London research new construction applications for metal 3D printing. Their work includes the first 3D-printed steel bridge, developed with MX3D. Finally, Brazilian engineer Luan Saldanha created a map to highlight Brazil’s additive manufacturing ecosystem.
Design Award
This category brings together three very different applications. Maya Kaplan presents the Computational Bra. This TPU bra is 3D printed using FDM technology and integrates varying properties of elasticity, support and compression. The Levin Center at the Tel Aviv Sourasky University Medical Center proposes a monolithic titanium implant. This implant is tailored to the patient’s anatomy and used in surgery. The Indian company Agnikul Cosmos is a finalist with a semi-cryogenic rocket engine. It was manufactured as a single Inconel part and already used in a 2024 space mission.
Photo credits: Mesago / Marc Jacquemin
(R)Evolution Award
The finalists include Fyous with GHOST. This system uses thousands of pins to create temporary molds for manufacturing dental aligners and retainers. The Maltese company Thought3D presents Drywise, a dryer that removes moisture from the filament just before extrusion. Finally, Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) competes with its microArch S150 printer. This system relies on projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL) and achieves an optical resolution of 25 μm.
Rookie Award
The three finalist projects explore new manufacturing opportunities. cAIclone develops 3D-printed hydrocyclones optimized using artificial intelligence. These separate particles between 1 and 50 μm, initially for battery recycling. FlexCycle Solutions transforms electronic waste into copper powder for additive manufacturing. Spaceform is developing Vacuum Atomised Suspension Printing (VASP). This new metal additive manufacturing process combines the vacuum drying of a powder suspension with laser processing.
Start-up Award
This category brings together five startups. Aumatis presents the AX-150, a system that uses 3D-printed models to automate casting processes. The startup sallea develops soluble cores and tooling to manufacture lightweight composite components. Hydra Manufacturing combines paste extrusion, machining and inspection to process materials like silicon carbide. additiveStream4D proposes adapting LPBF systems to manufacture onto existing geometries. Finally, QH Build develops simulation software to optimize directed energy deposition (DED) processes.
Sustainability Award
Supported by Renishaw, this category recognizes three initiatives related to the environmental impact of manufacturing. FlexCycle Solutions is once again among the finalists for its production of copper powder from electronic waste. BMF proposes offering 3D printers and digital files to manufacture plastic spare parts on demand. Finally, Baker Hughes presents the Manufacturing Carbon Platform. This tool allows users to view carbon emissions data associated with additive manufacturing processes, from quoting to delivery.
Formnext Awards 2025 participants (photo credits: Mesago / Mathias Kutt).
When will the winners be announced?
Voting will remain open until 12:00 on 19 November 2026. The winners will be announced later that day starting at 16:10 during the awards ceremony at the Industry & Application Stage (Hall 11.0, Booth D72). Visitors can also discover the finalist projects at the Formnext Awards Showcase (Hall 11.0, Booth F60).
To follow the latest trade fair updates, product launches and key news, visit our dedicated Formnext ecosystem. To keep up with the latest developments in additive manufacturing, visit our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
*Cover photo credits: mesago
