The Additive Manufacturing Users Group has named Neil Hopkinson of Stratasys as winner of its 2027 Innovators Award. Hopkinson invented High Speed Sintering, which replaced the laser in polymer powder bed fusion with printheads and infrared energy. He will be interviewed on the AMUG main stage on 17 March 2027 in Atlantic City.
Key facts
Award announced 5 November 2026 by AMUG for the 2027 conference
HSS licensed to several firms, over 2,500 machines installed, per Loughborough University
Hopkinson interview on 17 March 2027; conference runs 14 to 18 March in Atlantic City
Earlier honours: AMUG DINO award 2009, TCT Hall of Fame 2025
Context Polymer powder bed fusion builds plastic parts by fusing thin layers of powder; High Speed Sintering does this by printing an infrared-absorbing liquid where material should fuse and then heating the layer, instead of tracing each part with a laser.
What is High Speed Sintering and why was it significant?
Hopkinson conceived High Speed Sintering at Loughborough University, where he moved in 2001. Printheads place an infrared-absorbing liquid on polymer powder, and infrared energy then fuses the treated areas. Removing the per-part laser opened a route to higher productivity in polymer powder bed fusion. The university filed a patent in 2003 and began open licensing in 2013.
From university to Stratasys SAF
Hopkinson later joined Xaar, whose printhead technology played a role in HSS, and led the effort to commercialise it. This produced the joint venture Xaar 3D Ltd. with Stratasys, which launched the SAF-powered H350 in 2021. Stratasys acquired the venture six months later. SAF builds on HSS principles but uses a distinct process architecture designed for production. Hopkinson is now Stratasys Vice President of SAF Technology.
What happens at AMUG 2027?
Hopkinson will take part in an informal conversation during the Innovators Showcase on 17 March 2027. The AMUG Conference runs 14 to 18 March 2027 at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City. Past recipients include Chuck Hull, Hans Langer, Carl Deckard and Scott Crump.
What it means
The award is recognition rather than a market event, but it underlines how polymer powder bed fusion moved from prototyping to series production through higher throughput and lower cost per part. For small and mid sized EU manufacturers, the relevant lesson is that production-oriented SLS-type systems such as SAF are now mature, with an installed base of many hundreds of machines across HSS-family technologies. Business cases still depend on utilisation, powder handling and part qualification, not on the process lineage.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the AMUG 2027 Innovators Award?
Neil Hopkinson, Vice President of SAF Technology at Stratasys, who invented High Speed Sintering at Loughborough University.
How does High Speed Sintering differ from laser sintering?
It uses printheads to apply an infrared-absorbing liquid and fuses the powder with infrared energy, so no laser has to trace each part.
When will Hopkinson speak at AMUG?
On 17 March 2027 in an interview at the Innovators Showcase, during the AMUG Conference in Atlantic City from 14 to 18 March.