Day 1 — Wednesday, 23 September 2026 | Industry & Sector Focus
The morning opens with a plenary session featuring two keynote presentations and remarks from government and regional authorities. Three single-track sector sessions follow, each concluding with a short moderated discussion among session speakers. The afternoon features an exhibition with pitch presentations from exhibitors. The day concludes with a networking dinner.
The day opens with two keynote presentations. The first addresses the strategic and policy landscape for AM in European manufacturing — where the technology stands in relation to industrial competitiveness, sustainability goals, and the EU’s broader advanced manufacturing agenda. The second presents a concrete, at-scale industrial AM deployment. The keynotes are followed by remarks from government and regional authorities placing AM Connect within the innovation and economic development context of the INTERREG SI-AT programme area.
- Session 1 — Medical & Dental Applications of AM
This session covers AM deployment across medical and dental applications, with emphasis on both polymer and metal AM technologies — from dental devices and hearing aids to orthotics, prosthetics, and patient-specific implants. Material, design, and regulatory challenges specific to the healthcare sector are central themes. Given the expertise of the host institution FTPO, polymer-based AM technologies and functional materials for medical applications receive particular attention.
- Session 2 — Mobility, Automotive & Aerospace
This session brings together the AM communities serving the full mobility spectrum. It covers metal AM for structural and functional components across automotive and aerospace, polymer composites and fibre-reinforced materials for lightweight and aesthetic applications, and AM tooling and supply chain integration. Sustainability and lightweighting are cross-cutting drivers throughout.
- Session 3 — Civil Engineering
This session addresses AM’s growing role in construction and infrastructure across the full range of relevant material systems — from large-format concrete and cementitious printing to structural polymer composites, bio-based materials, and metal AM for architectural and structural components. Both proven applications and the open technical, regulatory, and standardisation challenges of construction-scale AM are invited.
- Exhibition & Pitch Presentations
Up to ten exhibitors present their AM solutions through focused 3–5 minute pitch presentations, thematically linked to the sector sessions of the day. Pitches should prioritise technical content and real-world application evidence. Participants are then encouraged to explore the exhibition area and continue the conversations the sessions have opened.
The day concludes with a networking dinner, held in a setting that reflects the character of the Slovenj Gradec region. Each table opens with a short icebreaker question drawn from the day’s themes, giving industry and research participants a natural starting point for cross-sector and cross-border conversation.
Due to limited seating at the restaurant, registration for the conference dinner is compulsory. If you wish to attend, please indicate this in the conference registration form. Please note that participation in the conference dinner is at your own expense.
Day 2 — Thursday, 24 September 2026 | Research & Innovation Focus
The day opens with an invited expert presentation, followed by three single-track research sessions. Each session features one to two invited talks alongside peer-reviewed contributed presentations. The conference closes with a session on European and national AM projects and initiatives and a moderated open discussion.
- Invited Expert Presentation
The day opens with an invited presentation from a leading European AM researcher. The speaker is invited to reflect on the state of the field across the three research themes of Day 2 — identifying the most significant open questions in materials, design, and process, and where the community’s efforts are most needed. This frames the three research sessions that follow and gives both researchers and industry participants a shared perspective on the day.
- Session 4 — New Materials and Sustainable Feedstocks for Additive Manufacturing
This session covers new developments in AM materials across all relevant material classes — polymers, metals, ceramics, composites, and multi-material systems. It encompasses fundamental materials science and application-driven development alike, including functional and smart materials, bio-based and sustainable feedstocks, and advances in material characterisation and qualification.
- Session 5 — Computational Design and Optimisation for Additive Manufacturing
This session addresses design methodology research that exploits AM’s geometric and material freedoms — from topology optimisation and generative design to bioinspired strategies and performance-driven approaches. It covers the full chain from design generation through simulation to experimental validation, and welcomes contributions connected to the application domains of Day 1.
- Session 6 — AM Process Innovation, Monitoring and Quality Assurance
This session covers process-level research across AM technologies, including process parameter development, monitoring and control, hybrid and multi-axis manufacturing, post-processing, and qualification and standardisation. Digitalization topics — in-situ monitoring, AI-assisted process control, digital twins, and simulation-based quality assurance — are addressed as integral tools within this broader process research context.
- Closing Session — European and National AM Projects and Initiatives
Representatives of active European and national AM projects and initiatives each present for a maximum of five minutes, followed by a moderated open discussion on collaborative opportunities, funding instruments, and priorities for the regional AM research community. A brief written summary of key points will be shared with all participants following the conference.
