First combined event recognizes innovators and leaders in additive manufacturing
BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — SME and TCT recognized leaders and innovators across the global additive manufacturing (AM) industry during the colocated SME AM Awards and TCT Awards during “Celebrating AM Achievement.”
Held at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport as part of RAPID + TCT 2026, the event marked a first-time collaboration, bringing together two of the industry’s most prestigious AM awards programs to honor the people, technologies and applications shaping the future of manufacturing.
A Night to Remember
Winners were recognized for their technical achievements and success in a wide range of areas including materials, hardware, software, applications, startups, innovators and individual leadership, reflecting the depth and diversity of today’s AM ecosystem.
“These awards recognize more than just technical achievements — they honor perseverance, collaboration and vision,” said Jeannine Kunz, executive director and CEO of SME. “The winners are incredible examples of the type of pioneers and visionaries that our industry needs to drive the technology forward in partnership with the greater AM community.”
Duncan Wood, CEO of TCT Group, added: “The evening was a powerful demonstration of what happens when a global industry pauses to celebrate excellence. The TCT Awards have always been about shining a light on progress and impact, and sharing that stage with the SME AM Awards elevated the experience even further. The caliber of winners this year speaks volumes about how far additive manufacturing has come and where it’s heading next.”
Celebrating Lasting Impact
The evening also featured presentation of each organization’s top individual honors. Two industry leaders were recognized for their long-standing contributions and impact:
SME AM Industry Achievement Award Winner – Max Lobovsky
The SME AM Industry Achievement Award honors an individual whose work has driven significant advancement and accelerated the adoption of additive manufacturing in meaningful, measurable ways. Max Lobovsky is the co-founder and CEO of Formlabs, which pioneered the new category of professional desktop 3D printing when it launched the world’s first affordable, powerful desktop stereolithography 3D printer. Prior to starting Formlabs, Max led the efforts at Fab@Home, one of the industry’s earliest open-source 3D-printing projects, which has been instrumental in setting up labs in schools worldwide. He is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient and World Economic Forum Pioneer.
TCT Hall of Fame Inductee – Joe Allison
The TCT Hall of Fame 2026 recognises an individual whose career-long contributions have fundamentally shaped the AM landscape – from early innovation and advocacy to industry-wide influence that continues to resonate today. Joe Allison co‑founded Solid Concepts in 1991, where his development of industry first tools dramatically expanded the usability and scalability of 3D printing. Under his leadership, Solid Concepts grew into the world’s largest supplier of 3D printed parts, accelerating industry adoption and setting new benchmarks for production grade additive manufacturing. Today, Joe continues to influence the sector as a founding member of 3D Ventures and CEO of Gentle Giant Studios.
Honoring the Industry’s Best
Together, the winners showcase breakthroughs that are redefining production, enabling new applications, and delivering measurable value across industry sectors.
TCT Award winners include projects from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Martinrea International, General Motors, Stratasys, and Authentise. The full list of TCT Awards 2026 winners can be found here: www.tctawards.com/winners.
SME Award winners include MatterWave, University of Delaware and Temple University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory and partners. A PDF list of SME Additive Manufacturing Awards winners is available here.
Looking Ahead
“Celebrating AM Achievement” demonstrated the value of collaboration across the additive manufacturing community. By co-locating the SME AM Awards and TCT Awards, SME and TCT created a unified platform that strengthens global connections and highlights industry progress.
As RAPID + TCT 2026 continues this week, the momentum from the evening serves as a powerful reminder that additive manufacturing is here and is a primary tool for critical manufacturing applications today.
For more information on the awards programs and RAPID + TCT, visit www.rapid3devent.com.
About SME
Established in 1932 as a nonprofit organization, SME represents the manufacturing industry, including manufacturers, academia, professionals, students and the communities in which they operate. We believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity, and champion the industry’s potential as a diverse, thriving, and valued ecosystem. SME accelerates new technology adoption and builds talent and capabilities to advance manufacturing and drive competitiveness, resiliency and national security. SME designs new ways to understand and solve problems, and our solutions advance the next wave of growth in manufacturing. Learn more at SME.org.
About RAPID + TCT
For more than 30 years, SME and RAPID have defined the crucial role of additive manufacturing and empowered the establishment of an industry that continues to conceive, test, improve, and manufacture new products at a faster, more cost-efficient pace. In 2017, the two industry leaders in 3D technology events, SME and The TCT Group, partnered to produce the annual RAPID + TCT event. For users and suppliers alike, the event is the premier destination for those who provide technology and for those who need to understand, explore and adopt 3D printing, additive manufacturing, 3D scanning, CAD/CAE metrology, and inspection technologies.
About The TCT Group
The TCT Group has been a leading authority in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, design, and engineering technology for more than 30 years. A rich mix of live events and an all-encompassing media portfolio enables TCT to deliver business-critical intelligence, connecting the additive community across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Brian Smith
SME
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