Formnext Awards 2026 name finalists in six categories, public vote open until 19 November

Formnext has named the finalists of its 2026 awards across six categories, from a 3D-printed bra and a single-piece rocket engine to copper powder recycling and AM teaching. The public can vote online until 19 November at noon, and the vote counts as an additional jury vote. Winners are announced at the Frankfurt show, which runs 17 to 20 November 2026.

Context Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) melts metal powder layer by layer with a laser, while directed energy deposition (DED) feeds powder or wire into a melt pool, which is how the WLAM process in the QH Build entry works.

Which categories and finalists are in the running?

The AMbassador Award honours training and advocacy. Finalists are Dr. Michael Kraemer of the AM Center at TU Darmstadt, where 50 to 60 students complete programmes each year, Professor Leroy Gardner and the Steel Structures Research Group at Imperial College London, known for the 3D-printed steel bridge with MX3D, and Luan Saldanha of Aditiva Brasil, who created the Additive Manufacturing Map of Brazil.

The Design Award finalists are the Computational Bra by Maya Kaplan, printed in TPU on a desktop FDM printer, an anatomy-conformal Ti-6Al-4V implant from the Levin Center in Tel Aviv, and a single-piece semi-cryogenic Inconel rocket engine from Agnikul Cosmos, flown on the Agnibaan SOrTeD mission in 2024.

What do the technology and start-up finalists offer?

The (R)Evolution Award finalists are Fyous with its GHOST machine for aligners and retainers, Thought3D with the Drywise inline filament dryer, and Boston Micro Fabrication with the microArch S150, a PµSL desktop printer with 25 μm optical resolution. Rookie Award finalists are cAIclone with AI-optimised printed hydrocyclones, FlexCycle Solutions with copper powder made from electronic waste, and Spaceform with Vacuum Atomised Suspension Printing.

Start-up Award finalists are Aumatis (AX-150 for automated investment casting from printed models), sallea (soluble cores and tooling for CFRP parts), Hydra Manufacturing (hybrid paste extrusion and machining for ceramics and hard metals), additiveStream4D (retrofit for LPBF systems to build on existing geometries) and QH Build. QH Build reports that in one WLAM application implementation was 72% faster and cost per part 64% lower.

How does the sustainability award and the vote work?

The Sustainability Award, supported by Renishaw, has three finalists: FlexCycle Solutions, BMF GmbH, which pairs a printer with its blasting systems and a cloud spare parts catalogue called Digitalsource, and Baker Hughes, whose Manufacturing Carbon Platform gives carbon data from quotation to delivery.

Voting is open to everyone until Thursday, 19 November 2026 at 12:00 p.m. The winners are announced the same day from 4:10 p.m. at the Industry & Application Stage in Hall 11.0, booth D72. All finalists are also shown at the Awards Showcase in Hall 11.0, booth F60.

What it means

The finalist list is a useful scouting aid rather than a verdict. For small and mid-sized manufacturers it points to where practical offers are emerging: spare parts on demand with cloud-held files, carbon data per part, retrofits for existing LPBF machines and recycled powder. None of the entries has independent validation, and the QH Build figures of 72% and 64% come from one application. Anyone interested should ask for qualification data and customer references at the show, not rely on award status.

Frequently asked questions

When are the Formnext Awards 2026 winners announced?

The winners are announced on Thursday, 19 November 2026, starting at 4:10 p.m. at the Industry & Application Stage in Hall 11.0, booth D72.

Can the public vote?

Yes. Public voting is open for all categories until 19 November 2026 at 12:00 p.m., and the online vote counts as an additional jury vote.

Where can visitors see the finalists?

At the Formnext Awards Showcase in Hall 11.0, booth F60, during the show from 17 to 20 November 2026, and online on the Formnext Awards website.