Formnext Asia Shenzhen, South China’s leading trade fair for additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, concluded its 2025 edition with a record-breaking 78% growth in visitor attendance. The show floor reflected a strong sense of optimism in China’s AM market, with participants, ranging from senior decision makers to first-time AM adopters, praising the event’s rising prominence as an industry hub for Asia’s manufacturing sectors. This was matched by increasing attention from the global AM community, with international attendance up by 158%, more than doubling for the second consecutive year.
The exhibitors on the show floor represented all key areas of the AM process chain, from equipment and materials to software and services. Leading domestic firms including Bright Laser Technologies, eSun, Farsoon, HBD, Kexcelled, PollyPolymer, TenDimensions and TPM3D were present, offering solutions for metal, polymer and ceramic AM. These companies were joined by a strong international contingent from France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States. Among the exhibitors, the materials category showed exceptional growth, with exhibitor numbers up by 76% over the previous edition. The upcoming edition of the exhibition will be held from August 26 to 28, 2026. The remarkable success of this year's event has injected strong momentum into the innovation and development of the additive manufacturing industry across Asia and the globe.
“The Formnext brand provides an assurance of global quality, which is very important for end-users. That’s why you see the key players are here, and you see every company trying to bring something new, whether it’s a new material or a new application. The entire ecosystem is present; it was great to see our global suppliers and partners like the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) also exhibiting.”
PollyPolymer
Mr Leo Xiao, Marketing Manager
“Visitor flow far exceeded our expectations; our booth, which featured the debut of the world's first 3D printed mattress, was so crowded for three consecutive days it was difficult to walk through. Our sales team was incredibly busy handling a constant stream of inquiries from international clients spanning the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Europe and the US, and the organisers' all-round support, both before and during the show, has been excellent.”
Mr Leo Xiao, Marketing Manager, PollyPolymer.”
Han’s Laser Technology Industry Group Co Ltd
Mr Jinglong Tang, General Manager
“The Formnext brand is highly respected, in China, because it attracts a truly professional audience. Visitor feedback at our booth was excellent; we met with many of our major clients, and a strong contingent of international buyers from and across Europe. This year we saw significant interest in our new laser systems, especially for copper applications, which is a key growth area in the industry. It is a meaningful event because it helps solve real industry pain points.”
ChuangLian 3D (Qingdao) Technology Co Ltd
Mr Robert Liu, CSO
“Our carbon fibre technology is designed to solve cost and lightweighting challenges for small-batch production of end-use parts. This was our first time exhibiting, and we were very pleased with the results. The visitor traffic exceeded our expectations and the quality was very high. We had productive conversations with specialists from the robotics, drone, automotive and medical sectors, which resulted in us receiving CAD files and generating new orders for our printing service on-site.”
FLOW-3D China
Mr Tony Tang, Chief Product Officer
“The industry’s recognition of this event is very high. For example, a colleague of mine exhibiting at a concurrent fair made a point of coming over to tell me how strong the visitor flow was, and to inquire about exhibiting here in the future. For us, this high-quality traffic led to very productive meetings with academic and industrial clients, and we have a number of follow-up visits planned.”
Visitor and speaker comments
Toyoda Seiko Co Ltd
Mr Kazumasa Toyoda, CEO
“In my mould manufacturing business in Japan, clients are increasingly asking about 3D printing, but it's difficult to connect with Chinese suppliers from there. Coming to this exhibition allowed me to make those direct connections, and it also completely challenged my preconceptions about 'Made in China'. I'm leaving with a newfound confidence in the quality and innovation I have seen here.”
Shenzhen In-saiL Precision Parts Co Ltd
Mr Longjie Wang, Sales Engineer
“As a manufacturer of cultural and creative products, I was impressed by the new equipment I found; the gains in speed and precision will be a huge help for us. I also discovered filaments with the excellent colour expression and stability our products require. For a first-time visitor, the combination of the exhibition and the forums made it an incredibly worthwhile and educational trip.”
ASTM International
Mr Andy Lu, Manager, Additive Manufacturing Programs
“The response to our presentation at Formnext Asia Shenzhen showed the eagerness of Chinese companies to expand internationally. The seating area was at full capacity, with people even standing outside to listen, and every slide showing data had the audience's full attention. Afterwards, we received several substantive inquiries from companies asking for support. For us this confirms that this event provides access to a key market that requires our advisory, qualification and training services.”
Wuhan Easymade Technology Co Ltd
Mr Daosheng Cai, Chairman
“We have a deep sense of mutual support with the organisers. Both in the forums and on the show floor, they are committed to educating the market and helping users truly understand the technology, not just showing it off. Regardless of how the market changes, we will participate every year with our maximum scale and promotional methods because we believe in this platform.”
Siemens (China) Co Ltd
Mr Peiran Li, Additive Manufacturing Business Development Manager
“I think the idea of holding a 3C electronics forum here is highly strategic, because the exhibition's audience is full of 'hidden talents,' including major electronics manufacturers and brand owners. For example, I saw representatives from one leading multinational company travel from Beijing to find service providers for customised products. It shows the audience's needs are very cutting-edge, the kind that may only see widespread adoption in the next five to ten years.”
