About Formnext
Formnext is the international trade fair for additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing, organised by Mesago Messe Frankfurt and held each year at the Frankfurt exhibition centre. It covers the entire AM process chain rather than printers alone: design and simulation software, metal and polymer systems, powders and other materials, automation, post-processing, quality assurance and contract manufacturing services.
Exhibitors include the major system manufacturers alongside materials suppliers, software developers and a growing number of service providers. A large share of exhibitors come from outside Germany, which gives the show a strongly international character.
Visitors come from manufacturing sectors that are adopting AM in production, with recent editions highlighting areas such as automotive, mobility, construction and energy. They include engineers, production managers and buyers who want to compare technologies, see parts and talk through specific applications with suppliers.
Alongside the exhibition, Formnext runs a conference and supporting programme for the full length of the show, and the Formnext Awards recognise innovation in the sector. For AM suppliers, it is the main annual opportunity to launch technology, meet industrial users and gauge where the market is heading. Because visitors often bring real production problems, stands that show finished parts and explain the route from design to part tend to generate more useful conversations than machines on display alone.
Next edition
Formnext 2026: what to expect
Formnext 2026 runs from 17 to 20 November at Messe Frankfurt. New for 2026 is a defence summit, debuting on 17 November alongside the show, on the role of additive manufacturing in the security and defence sector in NATO and the EU. The UK has a prominent role in both the exhibition and the supporting programme, and the 2026 focus sectors include automotive, mobility, construction and energy.
The organiser expects more than 800 exhibitors and 38,000 visitors in 2026. Early registrations from March showed 64.5 per cent of exhibitors based outside Germany.
Build-up runs from 12 to 16 November, with extended 24-hour build sessions on some days. The show then moves earlier in the calendar for 2027, with dates set for 26 to 29 October 2027.