Formnext Defence Summit 2026: 3D Printing for Defense

Topic expansion Formnext Is Expanding its Exhibition Into the Defence Sector

2026-07-02 Source: dpa 2 min Reading Time

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The organisers of Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt have announced that this year's event will feature the Formnext Defence Summit.

Formnext, which will take place again in Frankfurt am Main in November, will focus on defense and military equipment this time. To that end, the Formnext Defence Summit will be held. This is because additive manufacturing is playing an increasingly important role in the defence industry.(Source: Mesago) — Formnext, which will take place again in Frankfurt am Main in November, will focus on defense and military equipment this time. To that end, the Formnext Defence Summit will be held. This is because additive manufacturing is playing an increasingly important role in the defence industry.
(Source: Mesago)

Formnext—the leading international trade fair for additive manufacturing (AM) and modern production technologies—is expanding its scope and will in the future specifically address the growing importance of 3D printing in the security and defence sectors. As part of Formnext, the Formnext Defence Summit will therefore take place for the first time on November 17, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main. Participants from EU and NATO member countries are invited.The event is being designed and organized in collaboration with the Additive Manufacturing Defence Network (“AMDefNet”). The association aims to develop and strengthen the foundations for a European strategy on additive manufacturing in the context of security and defense, as Mesago explains.

3D printing is becoming increasingly important for armor

“Additive manufacturing offers decisive advantages to the security and defense industries! It enables more resilient supply chains, shorter response times, and flexible, demand-driven production—all the way to decentralized manufacturing solutions,” explains Martin Huber, a founding member of the Additive Manufacturing Defence Network. As a result, AM is increasingly becoming a strategic factor in security-related scenarios. The new initiative therefore brings together representatives from the military, politics, industry, and research. It focuses on key topics such as procurement, logistics (including supply chain management), training, standardisation, digitalisation, and data management. The organizers have clearly prioritised industrial applications and systems, as well as supply chain structures relevant to the defence and security sectors.

Formnext gives a boost to European security

“Close collaboration between industry, technology leaders, policymakers, and the military is a key factor for European security. Only through dialogue can requirements, quality standards, and topics such as cybersecurity and resilient supply chains be effectively advanced,” says Dr. Sascha Hartig, founding member and member of the Board of Directors of the Additive Manufacturing Defence Network. In his view, Formnext is the international hub for additive manufacturing. “This trade show brings together key players from technology, industry, and end-use sectors—ideal conditions for specifically strengthening the exchange between the AM industry and security-related sectors,” notes Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President of Formnext.

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