Additive Days 2025 unites industry giants around 3D printing’s future

Beneath the warm summer skies of the Abruzzo coast, innovation pulsed through the industrial heart of Pescara as over 100 professionals, entrepreneurs, and visionaries gathered at Via Raiale 93/A for Additive Days 2025 — a high-caliber summit entirely devoted to the rapidly expanding world of industrial 3D printing.

This fifth edition, organized by local additive manufacturing leaders Treddy and Rimas, transcended the typical tech event format. Along with the stage for speeches from industry and technology leaders, it offered a platform for transformative dialogue, live demonstrations, hands-on company tours, and a strong sense of community eager to rewrite the playbook of traditional production.

“We’ve had visits from top-tier companies like Fantic (motorsport), Benelli Armi, and Sigma. These are industry leaders,” says Treddy CEO Mattia Mucci. “What’s remarkable is that we built this project right here in Pescara. We’re now developing the concept of the “Additive Valley” as an open invitation to investors in materials, machinery, or software for additive manufacturing.

“This was the fifth edition of our event – Mucci continues. What excites me is the growing number of participants and the expanding geographic reach of the initiative. In the first edition, it was mostly local (Abruzzo). By now, we’ve attracted about 60 companies from Emilia Romagna and further north. Half of the attendees were new potential clients.”

Geopolitics, disruption, and the power of innovation

With the event theme “From Traditional Manufacturing to 3D Printing: Additive Manufacturing Amid Tariffs, Geopolitical Crises, and Global Shifts”, the day’s discussions reflected the urgency and opportunity facing the industry.

The morning began with an insightful address from Fabio Scacciavillani, a noted economist and asset manager, who set the tone by connecting the dots between macroeconomic trends, deglobalization, and supply chain resilience, ultimately demonstrating how additive manufacturing (AM) offers a strategic edge in a turbulent world.

The pace quickened with a standout presentation from Francesco De Stefano, CEO of Caracol AM, who shared compelling use cases for large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) — a field his firm is pioneering with groundbreaking applications in aerospace, automotive, and energy.

“We were proud to support the Treddy Additive Days as Main Sponsor, and what an incredible experience it’s been,” De Stefano told VoxelMatters. “We have been working very hard on our global expansion, in Italy, in the Middle East and especially in the US market. Coming here has been fantastic for sharing ideas, discussing the role AM can play in the current global market situation, and building meaningful connections with people who, like us, believe in pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing. The energy, passion, and vision that emerged from this event remind us why we do what we do.”

“A big thank you to the team at Treddy for creating such a vibrant and inspiring space, and to all the partners, speakers, and participants who made it special, De Francesco concluded. “We’re taking home new insights, great memories and even more motivation to shape the future of manufacturing together.”

After the Caracol presentation, attendees were taken “Inside Treddy,” with a guided tour offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how this Italian 3D printing powerhouse operates. From multiple HP MJF machines to new SLS (Form Fuse from Formlabs) and SLA systems (from DWS), the tour revealed how seamlessly AM integrates into an agile, forward-looking production model. Treddy also has multiple Markforged composite and metal AM systems within its facility and the company was also among the event’s main sponsors.

Visitors were shown the massive post-processing area, featuring the PostPro system from event co-sponsor AMT, as well as the newest machines from AM Solutions that offer different degrees of automation. And thousands (as many as 3,000 pieces per day) of finished 3D printed parts were ready to ship.

Production volume has increased significantly,” Mucci told VoxelMatters. “We’ve also added three large robots. One of them is dedicated to R&D, as we conduct important research projects both internally and in collaboration with clients and manufacturers. Generally speaking, he added, HP and robot-based technologies are the most prominent. The exciting part is that HP used to be 100% PA12, but now we’re expanding into other materials, such as flame-retardant nylon, which diversifies our offering and attracts new customer needs.

The morning was closed with a contribution by Pescara’s Mayor Carlo Masci (in the photos above), who expressed sincere congratulations and excitement for the contribution that Treddy is bringing to the Pescara manufacturing ecosystem.

Earlier this year, Il Sole 24 Ore published a ranking highlighting these results. “It’s not something you pay to be featured in—it’s based on financial data and analysis, which not all companies even have access to,” Mucci explained. “We’re listed under “Southern Stars,” a category that evaluates companies from Central and Southern Italy based on three main criteria: investments in tangible and intangible assets, employee growth, and revenue growth.

“According to these metrics, we ranked sixth overall, even competing with companies in the software and medical sectors, which saw a boom during COVID. But in terms of industrial production, we ranked first. That’s a major point of pride for us in terms of growth,” Mucci pointed out.

The future according to HP

Following lunch, Davide Ferrulli, Country Manager for HP 3D Printing in South Europe, demonstrated HP Additive Manufacturing‘s latest breakthroughs in MultiJet Fusion technology, highlighting the role of materials science and digital automation in delivering consistent, scalable production. His session struck a chord with SMEs and industrial leaders alike, drawing nods of agreement from a packed audience.

After a period of settling, which followed massive market expansion for its MJF technologies, HP is now starting on a major new uptrend. During his presentation, Ferrulli revealed that each month, service providers in HP’s network, such as Treddy, produce a total of 10,000 tons of parts using HP materials. The company expects this demand to grow 100-fold within five years.

Treddy customers then showed what these applications will look like. From macro to micro, the afternoon turned personal with William Amighetti, orthopedic doctor and founder of the Give Me A Hand Foundation, showcasing how 3D printed prosthetics are empowering lives across the globe, especially in war-torn areas like Ukraine and various parts of Africa. It was a heartfelt moment in a day largely focused on machinery, reminding all attendees of the real-world impact of additive technology.

Amighetti highlighted that there are over 50 major conflicts around the world that receive no media visibility but are affecting thousands, if not millions, of children. He explained how working with Treddy and HP technology dramatically reduced the cost factor in obtaining a functional prosthetic that can significantly improve a child’s (and an adult’s) quality of life.

The final presentation was delivered by Fantic Racing’s Patrich Ferretti, who offered a glimpse into the high-stakes world of motorsport engineering. He detailed how 3D printing has enabled rapid testing and custom part development, critical for performance, safety, and innovation in racing.

Not just a conference — a celebration

What truly set Additive Days apart was the atmosphere, filled with energy, curiosity, and a spirit of collaboration. The event concluded with a happy hour and networking session, followed by a Closing Party featuring a live DJ set and gourmet street food, which transformed Treddy’s premises into an after-hours innovation hub.

With speakers moderated by the ever-eloquent Alessandra Relmi, the event struck a balance between technical depth, strategic foresight, and community spirit. Mucci told VoxelMatters that his company has big plans for the future.

“We’re focusing on diversification and heavily promoting a new service called TAS—Temporary Additive Specialist. It’s a consultancy model where one of our technicians works directly in the client’s technical office with their 3D printer. This helps identify many more parts that can be 3D printed, as the technician brings broad knowledge of technologies, often spotting 10 to 100 more viable parts than an internal team would.

In preparation for increased business, Mucci announced that Treddy will be expanding its facilities, occupying the upper floor of our building. “Perhaps more importantly – he added – during next year’s Additive Days event, we hope to introduce new partners who decide to invest locally. We’ll even provide office space for those who want to start additive manufacturing operations here. Our long-term vision is to build a global hub—an additive center of excellence open 365 days a year, where people can come to learn and see the latest in 3D printing. It’s a bold goal, and while we started alone, we know we can’t achieve it on our own. We’re ready to collaborate with anyone who shares this vision.

Additive Days 2025 proved more than a conference; it was a manifesto for the future of manufacturing in Italy and beyond. By bringing together leaders from finance, medicine, motorsport, and heavy industry, the event highlighted the versatility of 3D printing. And its inevitability.

As attendees filtered out into the Pescara evening, business cards in hand and ideas buzzing, one thing was clear: additive manufacturing is no longer just an option — it’s the way forward.