Barcelona becomes the European capital of the additive manufacturing sector

• A total of 26 hubs and 3D printing organizations from Austria, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Andorra, Bulgaria, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey, and Norway are gathering in Barcelona to promote the adoption of these technologies.

• The event features an exhibition area showcasing the latest innovations transforming additive manufacturing, along with conferences and round tables involving 48 prominent industrial leaders and experts.

• The first edition of the Global AM Hubs Summit marked the official launch of (Add)liance, the new European alliance of 3D printing hubs, established to create a stable and collaborative framework for the sector.

Barcelona, septembrer, 18 2025.– DFactory Barcelona, promoted by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), is reaffirming its role these days as a major international ecosystem for Industry 4.0 by hosting the Global AM Hubs Summit. The first edition of this summit brings together leading additive manufacturing (3D printing) hubs and organizations from across Europe, alongside industrial leaders, experts, associations, universities, and institutions driving the transformation of advanced manufacturing, as well as numerous technology providers from across the entire value chain of the industry.

Starting today and running until September 18, this summit brings together, for the first time, 26 3D printing hubs and organizations from across Europe: Austria, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Andorra, Bulgaria, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey, and Norway. The CZFB, Pere Navarro has taken the opportunity to meet with all of them to establish alliances and foster joint opportunities.

The first Global Summit of Additive Manufacturing Hubs, supported by CZFB as the institutional partner of the event, kicked off this morning with a comprehensive program of conferences and round tables, as well as an exhibition area showcasing the latest innovations and advancements in the sector. At the same time, the summit also marked the launch of (Add)liance, the new European alliance of 3D printing hubs, whose main mission is to establish a stable and collaborative international framework to drive the adoption of these technologies. The initiative is promoted by entities, organizations, and sectoral institutions from across Europe.

The State Delegate at the CZFB, Pere Navarro, gave a very positive assessment of the Global AM Hubs Summit held at DFactory Barcelona, stating that “we are witnessing a historic milestone, as we are seeing the creation of the first European alliance of additive manufacturing hubs, and the launch of the first edition of the sector’s flagship event. And this is happening at DFactory Barcelona, a leading European ecosystem for all Industry 4.0 technologies, in a collaborative environment, because the future lies not in competition but in collaboration”.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the CZFB, Blanca Sorigué, explained that “this event is a great opportunity to present our District 4.0, which is the result of CZFB’s strategic vision to lead the transformation of industry. And this is happening in Barcelona because it brings together key ingredients —connectivity, specialized talent, a strong technological and innovation ecosystem…— that make it the ideal location to become the world capital of Industry 4.0. We’re talking about an activity zone of 6 million square meters, with DFactory Barcelona as its nerve center, hosting 40 Industry 4.0 companies and already expanding its footprint with four new buildings to be completed by the end of 2026”.

A total of 48 international speakers will participate today and tomorrow in the program of conferences and round tables at the Global AM Hubs Summit, which also includes live demonstrations and hands-on experiences to explore the full potential of additive technologies. Additionally, the summit will feature an Application & Technology Showroom at DFactory Barcelona, where leading companies in the sector will present their solutions, materials, software, live demos, and real success stories showcasing the application of additive manufacturing across various fields.

At the same time, all attendees of the event will also have the opportunity to participate in various institutional and industrial networking activities, as well as a program of visits to centers of excellence and innovative companies within Catalonia’s additive manufacturing ecosystem. The first edition of the Global AM Hubs Summit will conclude this coming Thursday, September 18, with a technological visit. Participants will be able to choose between two leading advanced manufacturing centers in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area: the HP Additive Manufacturing Solutions Center in Sant Cugat del Vallès or the CIM Technology Center of UPC.”