Prusa launches PETG Ultraglow, a high-quality phosphorescent filament. Superior to glow-in-the-dark PLA for brightness and durability. Ideal for technical and safety applications thanks to the resistance of PETG and its ability to shine for a long time. Requires hardened nozzles for printing. High cost but justified for professional use.

Large-scale Directed Energy Deposition utilizes real-time melt pool monitoring, targeted deposition, and dynamic modeling to ensure precision, metallurgical quality, and thermal control during the production and repair of large metal components.

In-process metrology in metal additive manufacturing enables precise measurement during production, ensuring repeatable and scalable quality. Unlike traditional monitoring, it provides quantitative and traceable data, reducing the reliance on costly post-process inspections. Technologies such as optical fringes allow for real-time 3D measurements, improving affi

In 2025-26, 3D printing moves beyond experimentation: aerospace, medical, automotive, and defense integrate it into main lines, driven by investments, geopolitics, and reliable standards. Market from 40 to 250 billion by 2035: those who train and scale now will lead the manufacturing of the future.

To scale additive manufacturing, end-to-end planning is needed: integrate printing, post-processing and the supply chain, monitor flows and bottlenecks, use specific software and build repeatability on data and standards, not just on machines.

Formnext 2026 and major fairs show mature additive manufacturing: large parts, AI, IoT, and concrete cases in aerospace, healthcare, and defense for productivity and certain ROI.

Industrial 3D printing grows beyond 20% annually, moving from 40 to 250 billion dollars by 2035. Automation, aerospace, and defense adopt it for critical parts, cutting costs and times. Challenges: scalability, regulations, skills.

The lack of skills is slowing the growth of additive manufacturing: universities, industry, and certifications converge to rapidly train 4.0 professionals.

The EU pushes for shared standards for autonomous systems and additive manufacturing: rigorous qualification, traceability, and ISO/AS certifications to accelerate industrial adoption and reduce risks.

Cornell prints 3D concrete on the seabed using marine sediments: lower costs, zero transport, autonomous robots and reduced environmental impact for sustainable infrastructure.

Multi-material 3D printing: a single part with rigid, flexible, conductive zones. Innovations from Bambu to Stratasys, automotive-aerospace applications, open-source software, and US investments toward mass production.

Metal additive manufacturing is now essential in aerospace and defense: lightweight alloys, DMLS/EBM/FFF processes and increasingly stringent certifications reduce weight, times and costs, but powder qualification and supply-chain remain the main challenges.