With around 170 exhibitors and speakers from Germany and abroad, rapid.tech 3D 2025 presented a myriad of solutions to discover from AM technologies’ providers. Beyond the exhibition floor, the show attracts for the now famous 3D pioneers challenge, keynotes and networking opportunities.
That said, below are three key highlights we would like to keep from this 2025 edition.
Pioneer of the decade: The 3D printed heart
After ten years of the 3D pioneers challenge, the platform for pioneering developments in additive manufacturing, focuses on: “Where did the journey lead? – Looking back at the pioneers of yesteryear and their current impetus for tomorrow.”
A central highlight was the anniversary exhibition, in which 33 selected finalist projects were presented – with participants from Israel, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK, Austria, Italy and Portugal also travelling to the event. The exhibition was celebrated as one of the highlights of rapid.tech 3D and gave visitors a unique insight into the development of innovative projects and their current relevance for the AM industry.
At the 3DPC exhibition stand, image sequences from the past ten years provided moving moments of remembrance – of innovative projects, inspiring encounters with partners, jury members and companions of the platform.
One key highlight of the festive ceremony this year was the 3D printed heart project. Led by Hadas Oved and Itai Cabilly who were in Erfurt with their project, the latter reflects the combination of technology and human medicine.
In this project, a customized heart tissue was created from human adipose tissue. The extracellular matrix was processed into a gel, while the cells were modified to form heart muscle and vascular cells. The “bioink” created from these two components was 3D-printed into patient-specific structures based on CT/MRI data. The goal is to develop customized heart implants for the treatment of heart failure or for drug testing.
“The bio-printed heart marks a turning point in tissue engineering and personalized medicine. With the integration of stem cells and complex biomimetic structures, this research demonstrates how additive manufacturing can go far beyond prototyping – towards creating functional, life-saving, personalized organs,” the Jury said.
Strong interest in qualified standardisation solutions, and cost-efficient large-format printing
Qualified AM GmbH offers solutions to one of the main problems of additive manufacturing. Gregor Reischle founded the company a year ago with the aim of offering standards for additive manufacturing for all regulated industries. He himself has eight years of expertise in the field. He deliberately chose rapid.tech 3D to showcase the services of Qualified AM. “With its scientific approach and its level of quality, the event is a perfect fit for us. This is where we can find expert visitors who understand the process chains.”
The Italian company Ginger Additive presented a cost-efficient solution for large-format additive manufacturing in Erfurt. With its pellet printer, the team has so far mainly produced items for fields such as architecture, design and interior design. Now Ginger Additive wants to move more into industrial applications and has demonstrated its range of services with a printer at rapid.tech 3D. Rouven Jost is responsible for sales and marketing in the German market. He was pleasantly surprised by the event in Erfurt. “It attracts the right visitors – people who are interested and knowledgeable about the topic.”
Internationalisation, innovation, and profitability of the AM market
How can we combine innovation and profitability in an AM market that is both global and local? This topic was addressed across various panel discussions.
The internationalisation of the AM market was on the agenda on the first day of the event. For European companies, the expansion into new territories means considering the influence of US policy and the advance of Chinese suppliers.
The importance of a political will in Germany and Europe to push ahead with AM technologies was stressed. The promotion of additive manufacturing set out in the coalition agreement of the new German government is a positive signal in this respect. The panellists also saw the move towards less dependence on the USA, particularly in defence technology, as an opportunity that could lead to a further surge in development.
At the end of the event, members of the rapid.tech 3D advisory board discussed the question that ultimately determines the use of AM: Is it really profitable?
Innovation and profitability are two sides of the same coin. After all, being innovative means earning money with new products and services. In this respect, additive manufacturing will prevail against conventional methods and processes if it offers added value for the customer. The panellists referred to examples that were also presented at rapid.tech 3D, such as customised cranial implants that cannot be produced using other methods. There are also parts in the aerospace sector that are innovative and therefore profitable.
That’s a topic that will require more than just a panel discussion to determine the next area of focus.
This will be covered through multiple programmes throughout the year until the next rapid.tech 3D which will be held in Erfurt from 5 to 7 May 2026.
Images credit: Rapid.Tech3D 2025.
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