Winners each took home a 3D printed trophy made by FKM Additive Manufacturing and designed by SUTOSUTO
This year—like every year—the shortlist for the Formnext Awards was chock-full of innovative companies, organizations and individuals, all influencing the future of additive manufacturing in some way. Yesterday, following the deliberation of an expert jury panel and the tallying of an audience vote, the winners of the Formnext Awards 2025 were officially announced at a dedicated ceremony. A winner was chosen in each of the award categories (AMbassador, Design, (R)Evolution, Rookie, Startup, Sustainability) and each was presented with a 3D printed trophy designed by Hamburg-based design team SUTOSUTO and made by FKM Additive Manufacturing.
AMbassador Award winner
In the AMbassador Award category, which recognizes individuals or organizations that are playing an advocacy or educational role in the industry, the big prize went to Irena Heuzeroth, from the Kunststoff-Zentrum (SKZ). Heuzeroth is an engineer and senior trainer in injection molding and additive manufacturing at SKZ and has played a central role in establishing the successful “Certified Industrial Technician Specializing in Additive Manufacturing” course offered jointly by SKZ and the IHK Würzburg-Schweinfurt. The course offers training across the whole 3D printing process chain as well as on relevant topics like occupational safety, energy and hydraulics.
“The current challenging economic situation makes it all the more important to invest in innovation—and thus in well-trained AM specialists—in order to make our industry competitive and fit for the future,” said jury member Dr. Irene Skibinski, Expert Additive Manufacturing at the VDMA Working Group AM. “The finalists for the AMbassador Award are doing outstanding work and making significant advancements in this area.”
Design Award winner
In the Design Award category, the Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd took home the trophy for its 3D printed Grabbit products, which aim to improve dexterity, mobility and hand strength for older people as well as those with limited hand mobility due to illness or injury. Student Timon Süßmilch is behind the innovative design project, which combines the use of 3D printed TPU lattices and PA12 and ash wood structures to create a series of design-forward tools that aim to break down stigmas associated with traditional mobility aids.
“The submissions for this award fascinate me every year because the entrants really run the gamut, from large corporations to up-and-coming designers,” said Jury member Prof. Oliver Tessmann from the Technical University of Darmstadt. “In the end, it’s the most exciting and relevant idea that counts, and the field is always open.”
(R)Evolution Award winner
The (R)Evolution Award category spotlights groundbreaking products, technologies or services that deliver significant added value. Thus it is no surprise that the winner was Laempe Mössner Sinto GmbH, which developed a binder jetting 3D printing solution for high-volume sand cores and implemented it with success at the BMW Group. There, the production system turns out over 1,100 cores per day, making it one of the fastest binder jetting 3D printers in operation today.
Jury member Prof. Jennifer Johns from the University of Bristol Business School, said of the category on the whole: “The (R)Evolution Award received a large number of high-quality applications demonstrating the applicability of 3D printing across different sectors and to solve problems conventional manufacturing cannot.”
Rookie Award winner
The Rookie Award recognizes newcomers in the AM industry that have launched within the last year or haven’t yet founded a company. This year, the winner in this category was the 3DMyMask project, a collaborative effort between IAM3DHUB, DIGIFAB, and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, that is leveraging 3D scanning and silicone 3D printing to produce custom-fit silicone masks for premature infants. These masks can help to minimize the risk of respiratory distress in neonatal intensive care units and improve outcomes.
“The quality and diversity of this year’s submissions are a striking demonstration of how AM is driving innovation across industries and thereby opening up more and more new industrial applications,” said Dr. Sascha Schwarz, jury member and CTO and Managing Director of Additive Manufacturing at TUM Venture Labs. “The Rookie Award finalists represent the next generation of marketable innovations that are only possible with AM. They offer a compelling combination of pioneering technologies, entrepreneurial spirit, and a clear vision for the future of production.”
Start-up Award winner
In the Start-up Award category, emerging company PERFI Technologies was chosen as the winner. The Danish startup has developed a 3D printing technique called Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) that can print small and highly complex objects in just seconds. This is achieved by projecting a series of dynamic light patterns into a rotating vat of photosensitive resin, which simultaneously cure the entire object at once without the need for support structures. PERFI Technologies is currently targeting the audiology sector with its technology for the production of hearing aids, earplugs earbuds, and more.
“The finalists in this year’s Formnext Start-up Award exemplify the creativity, courage, and technical excellence driving the next wave of Additive Manufacturing,” commented jury member Alex Kingsbury, AM Product Line Manager Additive Manufacturing at nLight. “Their breakthroughs aren’t just promising, they’re laying the groundwork for meaningful change across multiple industries.”
Sustainability Award winner
In the Sustainability category of the Formnext Awards, EOS GmbH was crowned winner for its innovative filtration system for metal additive manufacturing. The technology, officially unveiled alongside the new EOS M4 ONYX, neutralizes condensate, soot, ultra-fine particles and other reactive material by-products of the LPBF metal AM process. The system, called RFS Pro, effectively converts these reactive particles into stable metal oxides, while also filtering out usable powder. This minimizes waste by up to 90%, simplifies downstream waste disposal processes, and enhances the safety of the metal AM process for operators.
Sherri Monroe, Executive Director of the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association and jury member, said of the Sustainability Award nominees: “The submissions under the Sustainability category were very strong. They were commercially viable, varied in scope, and ranged from very specific technology advancements to broad business impact.”
Every year, the Formnext Awards are a highlight of the big industry event. This year was no different and we offer our sincere congratulations to all the winners and nominees of the 2025 Formnext Awards!
