REPAM 4th Consortium Meeting Held in Dresden
The 4th Consortium Meeting of the REPAM Project was held on 29–30 April 2026 in Dresden, Germany, hosted by Fraunhofer IWS.
The two-day meeting brought together REPAM partners to review the latest progress across the project, exchange technical updates, and align on the next steps for advancing resource-efficient materials for additive manufacturing. The meeting provided an important platform for strengthening cooperation among partners and ensuring technical coherence across the project’s material, manufacturing, recycling, sustainability, dissemination, and exploitation activities.
The first day opened with a welcome and project overview, followed by sessions on WP1–WP2 Management and Coordination, WP3 Material Technology Preparation, WP4 Manufacturing Technology Preparation, WP5 Material/Feedstock Processing for Resource Efficiency, WP6–WP7 Additive Manufacturing Processes, WP8 Innovative Recycling Techniques, and WP9 Business Case and Exploitation Strategy. These sessions enabled partners to present progress, discuss ongoing work, and address key technical priorities related to atomization, material preparation, process modelling, sensor data collection, machine learning integration, and process optimisation.
Several technical discussions focused on the importance of real-time data and advanced monitoring in improving additive manufacturing processes. Partners exchanged views on how machine learning models can support material behaviour prediction, process control, and parameter optimisation. The consistency of material properties during atomization, powder quality, thermal data, and the use of artificial intelligence in material design and manufacturing optimisation were also among the key topics discussed.
The second day started with a laboratory visit at Fraunhofer IWS, providing partners with the opportunity to observe relevant facilities and deepen technical exchange. The programme continued with sessions on WP10–WP11 Skill Development, Training and Dissemination and WP12–WP13 Life Cycle Assessment, followed by inter-work package parallel sessions, a general discussion, wrap-up, and the Steering Committee Meeting.
The meeting also highlighted the importance of linking technical progress with dissemination, communication, and impact-oriented activities. Discussions addressed how REPAM results can be communicated effectively to industry professionals, researchers, students, and wider stakeholder groups, while also supporting future collaboration and knowledge exchange between academia and industry.
One of the key strengths of REPAM lies in its multidisciplinary consortium. The project brings together leading European expertise in materials science, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, recycling, industrial applications, process control, and sustainability assessment. The Dresden meeting once again demonstrated the value of this collective knowledge and the importance of close cooperation in developing smarter, more circular, and more sustainable approaches for metal additive manufacturing.
As the project progresses, REPAM will continue to advance resource-efficient additive manufacturing by combining scientific excellence, industrial relevance, data-driven technologies, and sustainability-oriented innovation across the entire value chain.
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