As this year’s partner country, Spain will be bringing an array of innovative exhibitors to the world’s leading exhibition in AM technology and the next generation of production while adding key elements to Formnext’s lineup of supporting events. In addition to its highly dynamic and rapidly growing AM industry, its geographic location on the Iberian Peninsula enables it to serve as a bridge between Europe and South America.
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 30 in 2024. “We’re thrilled to be hosting such an incredibly exciting partner country and all its innovative AM firms,” states Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President for Formnext at event organizer 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 more than 1,200 people and turns in double-digit growth every year. According to Wohlers Report 2024, 1.5% of the 3D printers installed all around the world can be found here. “Although the market is still small, the forecast for the incoming years is promising,” reports Naiara Zubizarreta, director of the Spanish 3D Printing 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, specialized service providers, and research institutes.
Strong partners
This year, Addimat and the AM network IAM3DHUB are supporting Formnext as partners. “These highly engaged organizations 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,” reports Christoph Stüker, Vice President Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.
To help support the process of technological evolution, Spain has constructed an outstanding 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 for driving the use of Additive Manufacturing in the country as the Spanish association for AM and 3D technologies. Based in San Sebastián, it comprises more than 100 companies along the entire AM value chain, including machine manufacturers, 3D Printing service providers, technology centers, 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. Besides 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.
Solid growth of the Spanish AM industry
“In Spain, the adoption of 3D Printing technologies has been robust,” reveals David Adrover Iglesias, General Secretary of IAM3DHUB. He is referring to an HP and 3dbpm Research, according to which 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 patientspecific implants, prostheses, and surgical guides.
At the heart of the solid 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,” affirms Addimat director Naiara Zubizarreta.
The positive developments in the Spanish economy and the Spanish AM market make Spain a strong partner for this year's Formnext, which in turn provides Spanish exhibitors, as well as participants in the supporting program and special exhibitions, with an ideal platform to highlight and further expand their influence on the global AM industry.
Its rising profile on the AM market and further background information on Spain’s AM industry will also be covered in a special edition of Formnext Magazine (to be published in September 2025).
