AM Forum 2026 Returns to Berlin for 10th Industrial Additive Manufacturing Conference

The 10th AM Forum 2026 wrapped up at the Estrel Congress Centre in Berlin on March 10–11, marking a decade of what the organizers call "Europe's user conference for industrial additive manufacturing." The conference gathered manufacturers, researchers, service providers, and end users under the motto "Scaling impact: Realizing the potential of industrial additive manufacturing," a framing that set the tone for two days of implementation-heavy discussion rather than horizon-gazing.

The program was structured around four key topics, each designed to push past the prototype stage and into real production environments. The first, framed as the path from prototype to series production, tackled end-to-end digital workflows and MES integration, AI and machine learning for process optimization, simulation and digital twins for predictive control, and intelligent maintenance with closed-loop systems. The second major theme, "Reliable & qualified," zeroed in on quality assurance, standards, and process control, with specific attention to process stability and repeat accuracy, international additive manufacturing standards, certification paths in regulated industries, material testing, in-process monitoring, traceability, and the role of audits and data-based documentation.

The conference positioned itself explicitly for specialists and managers trying to scale AM within their organizations, not for anyone still evaluating whether industrial 3D printing is viable. The focus was "professional exchange on key implementation issues along the entire value chain of industrial 3D printing: from process stability and standardization to digital integration and automation to scalability and series production." Concrete application strategies, best practices, cooperation approaches, and regulatory frameworks were all on the table.

Fraunhofer IFAM, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials, was on the floor at booth 10. The institute brought coverage of the full additive manufacturing process chain, from powder metallurgical materials and sinter-based processes through to application-oriented solutions for industrial implementation. If you work with metal AM and didn't stop by to talk through your specific process challenges with their engineers, that was a missed opportunity.

No speaker lists, session schedules, or attendance figures were made available in pre-conference materials, which remains a consistent frustration for anyone trying to plan their day before arriving. The AM Forum site did offer ticketing in both German and English, reflecting its pan-European reach even as it stays anchored to Berlin. For a conference now in its tenth year, the program architecture has clearly matured: the questions being asked in 2026 are about certification pathways and closed-loop control, not about whether AM belongs in production at all.