The 13th Annual Members Meeting and Exchange (MMX), hosted by America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, was held August 5–6 in Canfield, OH. The event brought together nearly 420 leaders from the Department of Defense (DoD), academia, and industry, making it the largest MMX to date to collaborate and share insights on advancing additive manufacturing (AM) technologies.

During the event, speakers addressed key topics including AM technology transitions and market intelligence. From an Institute perspective, the leadership team outlined how it is shaping the future of AM by aligning cutting-edge technology development, strategic workforce growth, and industrial base expansion with the nation’s defense and manufacturing priorities.

John Wilczynski, America Makes Executive Director, opened his presentation by celebrating the Institute’s recent achievements, including the launch of 22 projects in FY25 with nearly $34M dispensed to membership, and reinforced its commitment to supporting DoD priorities such as strengthening national security and military capabilities.

Wilczynski also stressed efforts to boost member engagement and streamline information sharing across America Makes’ pillars: Technology Development, Growing the Workforce, and Expanding the Industrial Base. He highlighted the importance of member-driven feedback and effective information flow to enhance collaboration and overall member experience.

Brandon Ribic, Ph.D., Technology Director, presented an update on strategic technology initiatives and project progress, emphasizing the organization’s pivotal role in advancing additive manufacturing (AM) for defense applications. He highlighted key themes such as fostering coordination among government and industry stakeholders, focusing on AM for space propulsion and high-temperature applications, unifying industry perspectives, and enhancing value through partnerships and expanded membership collaboration. Additionally, Dr. Ribic stressed the importance of scaling AM from prototyping to production, prioritizing data management, interoperability, and streamlined qualifications to drive AM growth.

Further, Dr. Ribic noted, three vital areas of focus for technology included:

•    Strategic coordination: Engaging in workshops, panels, and advisory groups to align technology development with DoD modernization priorities for defense and industry needs.

•    Qualification: Addressing AM qualification, processing, and material advancements through workshops and membership engagement focused on DoD priorities.

•    Supply chain resilience: Addressing AM limitations in process repeatability, material qualification, production scaling, and feedstock vulnerabilities through data-driven strategies and collaborative industry-government efforts.

“We maintain a practice which converts strategic priorities into delivered capabilities, highlighting the commitment to translating research and strategic planning into tangible impacts for defense manufacturing,” Ribic shared.

Working in tandem with technological priorities, Ed Herderick, Ph.D., Education and Workforce Development (EWD) Director, drove home the Institute’s renewed EWD strategy focused on developing an integrated and scalable approach to training and workforce growth in AM, particularly aimed at meeting DoD and the broader industrial base’s needs.

“The vision is for the DoD to have a trained workforce and capabilities to deploy additive manufacturing wherever and whenever needed, focusing on readiness and empowerment through education,” Dr. Herderick stated.

The approach focuses on understanding learner needs and challenges to deliver targeted, accessible training through digital assets and advanced educational technology, both online and in-person. Leveraging partnerships and existing digital assets learning management system platforms, Dr. Herderick discussed how the EWD team is empowering small manufacturers to help build a skilled workforce ready to support AM in the defense sector.

Three key EWD focus areas include:

•    Digital assets: Expanding additive manufacturing training on AMTrain, DRIVE AM, AMNation Portal, and Tooling U.

•    Small businesses: Providing tailored education, guides, and networking to help small and medium manufacturers adopt AM.

•    DoD capability growth: Training the DoD workforce to deploy AM across facilities and operations to meet manufacturing and maintenance needs.

Tying together the Institute’s technology and EWD efforts, Kimberly Gibson, Industrial Base Integration Director, discussed the strategic approach and America Makes’ ongoing efforts to enhance the U.S. industrial base through AM. Gibson candidly shared the importance of focusing on creating a resilient, modern, and connected supply chain to meet defense and industrial needs, spotlighting collaboration, technological integration, and workforce development.

“We are working to ensure AM companies industry have adequate qualifications, standards, and policies to serve the organic and Defense Industrial Bases long term, while remaining profitable, supporting high wages, and keeping U.S.-based ownership of companies and their IP,” Gibson said.

Alexander Steeb, Operations Director, described the efforts of the Institute’s organizational framework to accelerate AM adoption. He emphasized the importance of its strategic collaboration and a diverse membership across the DoD, industry leaders, and academic pioneers as a key tenet of these efforts. Moreover, Steeb discussed the impact of events, such as MMX and TRX, as a catalyst for increased opportunities for networking and partnership across the AM community. Furthermore, in alignment with the event’s theme of DoD-led priorities, he reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to rigorous project management, ensuring that research delivers meaningful industrial benefits while complying with DoD regulations.

“America Makes is proud to be a catalyst for additive manufacturing innovation by connecting the best minds and technologies and driving forward projects that enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing industrial base,” Steeb shared.

Overall, the 13th Annual MMX reinforced America Makes’ leadership role in shaping the future of AM through its unique ability to unite government, industry, and academia. The Institute is not only advancing today’s capabilities but also laying the foundation for a resilient, competitive, and innovation-driven future.

For more information, visit https://www.americamakes.us/.