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At Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS) 2026, which just wrapped up in New York City yesterday, AM I Navigator and the Leading Minds consortium announced a new alliance aimed at accelerating the industrial adoption of additive manufacturing. The news was formally unveiled on February 26 during the event, marking one of the key strategic announcements coming out of this year’s show.
The two additive manufacturing groups have “joined forces,” as Materialise CEO Brigitte de Vet-Veithen put it during the live announcement, under a newly formed umbrella organization called the Additive Manufacturing Alliance. The goal is to make additive manufacturing (AM) easier to understand, easier to implement, and more widely used in industrial production. de Vet-Veithen was joined onstage by Karsten Heuser, VP Additive Manufacturing for Siemens, for the exciting announcement. The companies are partners in both initiatives.
Materialise CEO Brigitte de Vet-Veithen and Karsten Heuser, VP Additive Manufacturing, Siemens, onstage at AMS 2026
The new Additive Manufacturing Alliance brings together two established efforts that already work toward similar goals but from different angles.
Rather than merging into one entity, Leading Minds and AM I Navigator will continue operating independently where appropriate. However, they will now collaborate on selected activities, particularly around knowledge sharing, communication, and helping manufacturers move from early experimentation to scaled production.
“Our shared goal is to make additive manufacturing more accessible, less complex, and more integrated into everyday industrial production. Together, we can help more companies across a wider variety of industries benefit from the flexibility, efficiency, and innovation that AM enables,” said de Vet-Veithen, CEO of Materialise, speaking on behalf of the newly formed Alliance.
What this means is the Alliance aims to connect awareness with execution. Leading Minds focuses on building understanding and reducing confusion around AM, while AM I Navigator provides structured tools and guidance to help companies industrialize and scale their additive manufacturing operations. Together, they seek to help companies move from inspiration to implementation.
The AM I Navigator is a structured tool that helps companies assess and improve their additive manufacturing maturity. It was first launched at Formnext 2023 by Siemens, DyeMansion, HP, BASF Forward AM, and EOS. Since then, it has grown into a broader ecosystem that includes partners such as Materialise, AMTPro, AZO, and knowledge partners, including Capgemini and BCG.
At its core, the AM I Navigator provides a structured way for companies to evaluate and improve their use of additive manufacturing. It includes a five-stage model that helps organizations understand how advanced they are, guidance across key areas such as strategy, design, production, quality, and organization, and practical insights drawn from real industrial use cases. Companies can also access online self-assessment tools to measure their progress and identify next steps.
Companies use the framework to benchmark their current capabilities and develop roadmaps toward higher levels of automation, quality, and economic performance. The goal is to help organizations move beyond pilot projects and into repeatable, scalable production.
According to Heuser, “Via the newly launched AM I Navigator website, companies worldwide can independently and free of charge assess their additive manufacturing maturity and explore transformational insights derived from proven industrial applications. The assessment tools are voluntary resources designed to help companies of all sizes, from startups to global manufacturers, benchmark their capabilities and identify improvement opportunities.”
The maturity model and related tools are accessible at: https://am-i-navigator.com/.
Another announcement tied to the Alliance is the addition of Wohlers Associates, powered by ASTM International, as a Knowledge Partner within the AM I Navigator network. Wohlers Associates brings experience in standards, certification, and helping companies prepare additive manufacturing for demanding industries such as aerospace, defense, and medical.
Mohsen Seifi, Vice President of Global Advanced Manufacturing Programs at ASTM International, stated that, “By joining the AM I Navigator, we aim to contribute our experience in translating additive manufacturing standards into robust industrial practice. Together with the partner network, we want to help manufacturers accelerate the transition from experimentation to qualified, scalable production.”
The second initiative behind the new Alliance, Leading Minds, was first announced at Formnext 2024 as a consortium of eight founding companies: Ansys, EOS, HP, Materialise, Nikon SLM Solutions, Renishaw, Stratasys, and ATLIX (formerly Trumpf Additive Manufacturing).
The consortium has two primary objectives: to increase awareness of additive manufacturing across industries and reduce the barriers companies face when adopting and scaling AM.
One of its first major initiatives addresses a long-standing issue in the industry: inconsistent terminology. Different companies often describe similar processes using different language, which can create confusion and slow adoption.
Leading Minds is developing an open, common language framework for additive manufacturing. The framework is designed to standardize communication across the production process, making discussions with customers clearer and more actionable. The group says the framework has already been expanded to cover the full AM production chain and is actively being used with customers.
In addition to terminology work, Leading Minds continues to participate in major industrial events in North America and Europe, targeting sectors where AM adoption remains early but promising.
The consortium also announced that the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG) has joined as its newest member. MTDG, along with its subsidiary, the National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining (NCDMM) and its America Makes program, focuses on helping manufacturers deploy advanced manufacturing technologies and supporting educational institutions in embracing these technologies.
Dean L. Bartles, President and CEO of MTDG, will represent the organization within Leading Minds. “MTDG is honored to join the Leading Minds consortium at such a pivotal moment for our industry,” noted Bartles. “Through the combined strengths of MTDG, NCDMM, and America Makes, we remain deeply committed to advancing the industrialization of additive manufacturing and expanding its impact across the manufacturing ecosystem.”
L-R: Karsten Heuser, VP Additive Manufacturing, Siemens; Mohsen Seifi, VP Global Advanced Manufacturing Programs, ASTM International, Dean Bartles, CEO and President of MTDG; and Brigitte de Vet-Veithen, Materialise CEO
The announcement at AMS 2026 highlights a broader effort within the additive manufacturing industry to move beyond small pilot projects and toward larger-scale production. Through the new Alliance, Leading Minds and AM I Navigator aim to support that shift with clearer communication, shared standards, and practical tools.
Images courtesy of Sarah Saunders for 3DPrint.com
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