The Formnext Defence Summit connects high-level stakeholders from the military, politics, and the Additive Manufacturing industry. It focuses on forward-looking strategies to strengthen defence and security capabilities across Europe and NATO member states.
The Formnext Defence Summit is a premier high-level event bringing together top-tier experts in the defence and security landscape – military leaders, political institutions, OEMs and industry pioneers in Additive Manufacturing.
Designed for those shaping change and progress, the summit highlights AM as a key enabler of a stronger and more resilient defence ecosystem. From advanced production to secure supply chains, AM is transforming how capabilities are developed and maintained.
By uniting representatives from the military and political spheres with OEMs, AM technology leaders, and industry partners, the summit creates a powerful environment to align operational needs, technological potential, and implementation strategies.
The aim of the summit is to shape the future of defence and security capabilities across the EU and NATO member states by fostering dialogue between stakeholders, decision-makers, and industry.
"As the international hub for Additive Manufacturing, Formnext unites key players from technology, industry, and diverse application areas. It provides the ideal platform to foster closer dialogue between the AM industry and security-related sectors.”
“Additive Manufacturing is a key technology for modern industry. With the Defence Summit, we are providing a dedicated platform to highlight the importance of AM for industrial applications in the security-related sector and to promote professional dialogue.”
Who should attend?
Military leaders and AM users in the defence sector
Government officials and policy decision-makers at EU and national level
OEMs and system integrators in defence and security
Manufacturers and providers of Additive Manufacturing technologies and systems
from EU and NATO countries
The Formnext Defence Summit aims to enable strategic exchange at the highest level and to specifically advance the industrial implementation of Additive Manufacturing in the defence context.
Our partner:
The event is conceived and organized in collaboration with the Additive Manufacturing Defence Network (AMDefNet). The association aims to develop and strengthen the foundations for a European strategy for Additive Manufacturing in the context of defence and security.
“Additive Manufacturing offers distinct advantages for the security and defence industry, enabling more resilient supply chains, shorter response times, and flexible, demand-driven production all the way to decentralized manufacturing solutions. As such, AM is increasingly becoming a strategic factor in security-related scenarios.”
“A close exchange between industry, technology drivers, politics, and the military is essential for European security. Only through dialogue can we effectively develop the necessary requirements, quality standards, and frameworks for cybersecurity and resilient supply chains.”
Held within Formnext, the world’s leading AM exhibition, the summit delivers a premium conference and networking experience with inspiring keynotes, an expert panel, and experience areas showcasing the use of AM in the future of defence manufacturing.
The focus is on current framework conditions in the NATO and EU context, industrial scaling, procurement, as well as real-world applications along the defence value chain.
Date: 17 November 2026 Start: 10:00 a.m. CET Place: Messe Frankfurt, Portalhaus – Room Frequenz 1 & 2
Agenda stage program
10.00 a.m. – 10.05 a.m.
Welcome
10.05 a.m. – 10.20 a.m.
Keynote
10.20 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.
Panel
11.00 a.m. – 11.15 a.m. & 11.15 a.m.– 11.30 a.m.
Presentations
From 11.30 a.m.
Experience Areas
Experience Areas – where ideas turn into impact
Each Experience Area kicks off with a compact, high-energy teaser on stage: right after the talks and panel discussions, five high-impact 2-minute pitches—presented by the Area Expert—ignite the key ideas around the topic. Short. Focused. Inspiring.
And then it continues—live on the Area: dive deeper into conversations, ask your questions, build meaningful connections, and explore real, hands-on solutions. The Experience Areas are framed by exclusive company and product showcases, where selected exhibitors present their solutions tailored to each topic.
Key topics of the Experience Areas
Procurement Strategies
Supply Chain Management
Military Logistics
Maintenance
Drone production
Details of the program will be published by the end of July.
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