Successful Next Gen Manufacturing congress

27.10.2025

With the "Next Gen Manufacturing - Additive Manufacturing for the Future" congress, Bayern Innovativ has created a central platform that brings together industry, research and politics. Over 400 international decision-makers from the 3D printing sector came together in Garching near Munich on October 23 and 24 to discuss the future of additive manufacturing. From mobility and defense to medicine and aerospace, various industries and topics were represented.

Strategies for the next generation of manufacturing

A central element of the congress was the presentation of the new 10-year roadmap for additive manufacturing in Bavaria, developed by Bayern Innovativ together with experts from business, science and politics. The roadmap shows how innovations can be brought into industrial application more quickly, how standards can be set and how the competitiveness of Bavaria as a production location can be strengthened.

"With additive manufacturing, we are shaping the future of production - from medical technology to aerospace," emphasized Rainer Seßner, CEO of Bayern Innovativ. "Our task is to network the technological potential so that research becomes market-ready innovations that secure value creation in Bavaria and set standards worldwide."

Political support for AM as a key technology

The Bavarian state government also emphasized the importance of additive manufacturing:

Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy: "Additive manufacturing is a decisive factor for the industry of tomorrow. It makes production more efficient, more flexible and more sustainable and is therefore an important key to securing the long-term competitiveness of our business location."

Markus Blume, Bavarian Minister of State for Science and the Arts: "Bavaria is a pioneer in 3D printing. Whether everyday products or high-tech parts, additive processes are a decisive factor in the industrial production of tomorrow."

Galactic perspectives with ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer

An absolute highlight was the keynote speech by ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer, who gave fascinating insights into the use of 3D printing in space. He showed how additive technologies could support space missions in the future and even enable construction on the moon and Mars. His visions inspired the audience and underlined the relevance of the technology far beyond Earth.

Knowledge transfer and networking

With over 80 speakers from industry and research, the congress offered a broad spectrum of specialist knowledge and practical examples. The topics ranged from individually manufactured implants in medicine to scalable production processes for security and defense.

A strong network for the future

The congress was not only a place to exchange ideas, but also the start of new collaborations and projects. After all, Bavaria can only further expand its innovative strength in additive manufacturing within a strong network.

The congress was organized by Bayern Innovativ in cooperation with Bavaria Makes e.V. and sponsored by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.