Want to help select the winners of the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards? Join the Expert Committee today.
Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the event organizer of the Formnext 3D printing trade show, has revamped the format of the Formnext Awards.
Formnext 2024, the upcoming installment of the additive manufacturing expo, will see awards presented across six categories. The show will run from 19-22 November 2024 in Frankfurt Germany.
Seeking to raise the profile of leading 3D printing talent, the new categories will include young innovative companies, sustainable business ideas, and pioneering technologies. The popular Formnext Start-up Challenge has also been rebranded to the Start-up Award for Formnext 2024.
Submissions will be evaluated by panels of expert judges, who will determine the finalists for each category. The winners will be chosen at the show, with the help of a public vote, and presented at an award ceremony on the evening of Thursday 21 November.
According to Mesago, the panels include representatives from leading companies, investors, associations, and research institutions. Applications are open now and can be submitted on the official Formnext Awards web page. Submissions for the Start-up Award close on 9 August 2024, while the remaining categories are open until 6 September 2024.
“It’s not just start-ups and new companies who benefit from exchanging ideas, showcasing their businesses, and networking with potential customers, partners, and investors,” explained Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
He added that, rather than solely supporting 3D printing newcomers, Formnext wants to “reach out to the growing diversity of the AM industry,” and “recognize the achievements of an even broader range of disciplines.”
Revamped 3D printing awards at Formnext 2024
The finalists’ submissions and exhibits will be showcased at Formnext 2024. During the show, on-site and online visitors can vote for one finalist in each of the six categories, helping to determine the final results.
Each winner will receive a unique Formnext Award trophy sponsored by binder jet 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet and designed by German art studio SUTOSUTO. Winners will also receive a package consisting of cash and noncash prizes, as well as communication and marketing opportunities.
Chinese 3D printing software developer Helio Additive and high-speed volumetric additive manufacturing firm Vitro3D, were both recognized at last year’s show.
Now, the Start-up Challenge has been rebranded as the Formnext Start-up Award. Sponsored by AM Ventures, it will continue to recognize young, inspiring 3D printing companies with viable business models.
One new award for Formnext 2024 is the Rookie Award. This seeks to reward young individuals with promising business proposals who are yet to found a company, or whose company launched less than a year ago.
The expert panel for this award includes Arno Held (Managing Partner, AM Ventures), Alex Kingsbury (Market Development Manager, nLight), Professor Peter Mayr (TU München) and Dr. Sascha Schwarz (Managing Director, TUM Venture Labs), and our very own Michael Petch (Editor in Chief, 3D Printing Industry).
The Sustainability Award will also be launched at Formnext 2024. Sponsored by global engineering firm Renishaw, the prize will recognize 3D printing applications and products with a sustainable life cycle. The panel includes Professor Kristian Arntz (FH Aachen), Dr. Mohsen Seifi (VP of Global Advanced Manufacturing Programs, ASTM International), and Sherri Monroe (Executive Director, Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association, AMGTA).
The new Formnext Design Award will assess additive manufacturing designs and products based on aesthetic and functional considerations. Thomas Lück (cirp), Duann Scott (BITS to ATOMS), and Professor Oliver Tessmann (TU Darmstadt DDU Digital Design Unit – Digital Design) will make up the panel for this award.
At Formnext 2024, the (R)Evolution Award is being supported by 3D Printing Industry, and rewards exceptionally innovative products, technologies, or services that add value for the user. The expert panel features Dr. Melissa Orme (Vice President, Boeing), Dr. Mandaná Moshiri (Sr. Additive Manufacturing Manager, The LEGO Group), Dr. Maximilian Binder (Project Lead Additive Manufacturing, BMW Group).
Lastly, the new AMbassador Award will highlight outstanding individuals or organizations making a unique impact through training and education approaches, projects, or other personal advocacy. The panel includes Irene Skibinski (VDMA Additive Manufacturing Association), Haden Quinlan (Senior Program Manager, MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Ralf Anderhofstadt (Head of Center of Competence Additive Manufacturing, Daimler Truck AG | Daimler Buses GmbH).
Recognizing 3D printing industry leaders
The new Formnext awards are the latest awards joining established events such as our 3D Printing Industry Awards. Launched in 2016, the 3D Printing Industry Awards are selected by an expert committee with over 2,000 years of collective additive manufacturing experience and a public vote of over 300,000 nominations and votes.
The 3D Printing Industry Awards celebrate the industry with a black-tie gala dinner, most recently taking place in the stunning surroundings of Lincoln’s Inn Fields in central London.
The 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards will see the return of our 3D printing Expert Committee, which, in combination with the public vote, selects the winners. The committee meets to discuss nominations, cast votes on the shortlists, and provides full-year networking opportunities. If you want to join the expert committee, applications are now open, complete the form here.
But while the 3D Printing Industry Awards are undeniably coveted as a unique recognition by both peers and public, perhaps the most prestigious award in the industry is found neither in Frankfurt nor London. The AMUG Conference is a must- attend cornerstone event on the additive manufacturing calendar and also the home of the Distinguished INnovator Operator awards or DINOs.
The 2024 Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) conference announced five DINO awards and the organization’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year’s AMUG DINO awards went to Jamie Cone, Steve Grundahl, Thomas Murphy, Vadim Pikhovich, and Bob Renella. One of AMUG’s most renowned prizes, the award recognizes those with the highest levels of additive manufacturing expertise and industry commitment.
Gary Rabinovitz, AM/3D Printing Lab Manager at Boston-based shoe manufacturer Reebok, received the AMUG Lifetime Achievement Award. This was only the second time this award has been presented in the organization’s 36-year history, after Thomas Sorovetz in 2018. It recognizes individuals who exemplify leadership and excellence within Additive Manufacturing.
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