Spain named as Formnext 2025 partner country
February 12, 2025
Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, organiser of the Formnext exhibition, has announced that Spain will be its partner country for Formnext 2025, scheduled to take place from November 18-21, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany.
Spain has been selected to bring an array of innovative exhibitors and the next generation of production to the event, explains Mesago Messe Frankfurt. In addition to its highly dynamic and rapidly growing Additive Manufacturing industry, its shared language is hoped to bolster representation from South American industry.
Spanish Additive Manufacturing industry
The strength of the Iberian AM sector is readily apparent at Formnext, where Spain has been one of the nations with the most exhibitors for a number of years – including around thirty in 2024.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting such an incredibly exciting partner country and all its innovative AM firms,” stated Sascha F Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “Spain is a perfect example of how AM helps ensure growth and new developments and gives a boost to the entire manufacturing industry, even in challenging times.”
Spain’s AM sector currently employs over 1,200 people and grows by double-digits every year. According to Wohlers Report 2024, 1.5% of the Additive Manufacturing machines installed around the world are located there.
“Although the market size is still small, the forecast for the incoming years is promising,” said Naiara Zubizarreta, director of the Spanish Additive Manufacturing association ADDIMAT.
At the same time, the Spanish AM industry is highly diverse and features numerous internationally renowned system manufacturers such as HP Printing and Computing, Meltio, Triditive, Reinforce 3D, and Supernova, as well as many material producers, software developers, specialised service providers, and research institutes.
This year, ADDIMAT and the AM network IAM3DHUB are supporting Formnext as partners. “These highly engaged organisations play essential roles in Spain’s AM industry and will once again be on hand to demonstrate the remarkable potential of their country’s AM landscape along with their member companies and cooperation partners,” Christoph Stüker, Vice President Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, commented.
Spanish manufacturing networks
To help support the process of technological evolution, Spain has constructed a strong manufacturing network. ADDIMAT is operating under the umbrella of AFM Cluster, an industry cluster covering seven Associations, offering tailored services for the advanced manufacturing industries.
ADDIMAT was founded in 2014 to drive the use of Additive Manufacturing in the country as the Spanish association for AM. Based in San Sebastián, it comprises more than 100 companies along the entire AM value chain, including more machine manufacturers, Additive Manufacturing service providers, technology centres, material suppliers, and end users.
IAM3DHUB (the International Advanced Manufacturing 3D Hub), meanwhile, is an industry consortium managed and operated out of Barcelona by Leitat. It serves as a central point of contact for companies interested in implementing AM. As well as offering comprehensive assistance that ranges from feasibility studies and training to strategic implementation support, IAM3DHUB aids Catalonia’s extensive efforts to position the region as a hotbed of Industry 4.0.
“In Spain, the adoption of 3D Printing technologies has been robust,” revealed David Adrover Iglesias, General Secretary of IAM3DHUB, referring to HP and 3dbpm research that found that 96% of Spanish production companies believe that AM helps them bring products to market more quickly. “This explains why Spain continues to see an increase in the adoption of 3D Printing technologies,” Iglesias points out. In 2022, sales of AM machines and services grew by 24.5% and 36.2%, respectively. The key user industries include the aviation and aerospace as well as automotive sectors, along with healthcare, where the applications range from custom-fitted 3D-printed shoes to patient-specific implants, prostheses, and surgical guides.
Spanish manufacturing at large
At the heart of the development of Spain’s AM sector is the strength of the country’s overall manufacturing industry. According to Eurostat, its production has increased by 7.3% since 2014, while other leading European countries like France and Germany have stagnated or even regressed significantly. The Spanish machine-tool association AFM was thus able to report record sales of €2,157 million in its sector in 2023.
“Spain has an extended manufacturing tradition, with strong supply chains, distributed capabilities and a well settled innovation culture,” ADDIMAT director, Naiara Zubizarreta, shared.
The positive developments in the Spanish economy and the Spanish AM market are expected to make Spain a strong partner for this year’s Formnext. This, in turn, provides Spanish exhibitors – as well as participants in the supporting programme and special exhibitions – with an platform to highlight and further expand their influence on the global AM industry.
Those interested in attending Formnext can register for here.
