Now in its eighth year, this international design competition for additive manufacturing recognizes individuals and companies pushing boundaries with 3D printing in a wide range of fields.

The 3D Pioneers Challenge is organized by d.sign21 in collaboration with the Rapid.Tech 3D and the winners will be announced and presented at the virtual award ceremony on 9-11 May 2023, in Erfurt, Germany. Participation is free for students, young professionals or start-ups, and exhibitors at the Rapid.Tech 3D expo, which is a sponsor of the competition. The entry fee is €265 for professionals.

The theme for 2023 is “resilience now, advanced technologies to enable a sustainable tomorrow.” Organizers say the main judging criterion will be how the project deals with current issues and medium- to long-term trends affecting one of ten entry categories with a focus on interdisciplinary works and the combination of several technologies.

Past finalists have ranged from 3D printed ebikes and footwear to ventilation masks and valve replacements and even a recyclable 3D printed tennis ball. Finalists are chosen by a jury of industry experts, including All3DP Editorial Advisory Board members Sonja Rasch from Materialise and Kristin Mulherin from AM-Cubed and the current president of Women in 3D Printing.

There are ten categories to enter your concept, project, or new business model: design, digital, architecture, fashion-tech, materials, medtech, mobility, electronics, machinery, and sustainability.

One of our favorite finalists from a past competition combined sustainability, design, and large-scale robotic 3D printing in a thought-provoking way. The Rotterdam-based research and design studio called The New Raw expanded its pioneering project to transform ocean waste into digitally crafted sculptures with a limited series of 3D printed beach furniture. The initiative, which repurposes abandoned fishing nets and processes them into threadlike filaments for 3D printing, raises awareness of the environmental issues of marine plastic pollution.

Another finalist we were excited about was the SpaceWrench, a topology-optimized tool that showcases how lightweight lattice structures can deliver high mechanical performance and can even serve as a metal replacement for lightweight aerospace components. The Wrench was designed using nTopology software and printed in COR Alpha, a Cyclic Olefin Resin, a new family of engineering-grade polymers invented by polySpectra. This simple wrench may turn out to be an icon, representing the power of topology optimization and advanced polymers in manufacturing.

One of the most striking artistic designs came from Bavarian artist Peter Lang used hornet nests as inspiration for his fascinating work of art called Silent Orchestra that, in collaboration with acoustics experts from the Technical University of Rosenheim, actually improves large room acoustics. The multi-color, honeycomb-like structure, which uses only natural fibers and beer as a binder, is installed as an art object to hang from the ceiling. Silent Orchestra was 3D printed by the German company Additive Tectonics, a subsidiary of the FIT Additive Manufacturing Group.