The task given to the interdisciplinary student teams sounds simple enough: solve a real industrial challenge using Additive Manufacturing – but here is the catch: they have less than 48 hours for coming up with a concept and building a complete business model for their own imaginary start-up (covering development, production, and distribution). The concepts must address real user needs across diverse target groups and translate them into tangible solutions.
A special highlight: participants have access to a full 3D printing farm, enabling them to bring their ideas to life through Additive Manufacturing – whether as functional prototypes or detailed demonstrators.
In 2026 we were welcomed by the DHBW Ravensburg in Friedrichshafen and hosted the biggest competition yet with 16 interdisciplinary student teams developing forward‑looking concepts under significant time pressure – proving just how much potential lies in combining engineering skills with additive design freedom.
This year’s task focused on the development of a Future Personal Mobility Space Concept and challenged students to create a modular, AM-enabled seating concept for autonomous and future mobility scenarios.
The competition demanded more than technical design alone. Teams had to consider user needs, ergonomics, material selection, production feasibility and economic viability – all essential requirements for successful industrial applications.
Despite the tight schedule, the students delivered a wide range of impressive concepts, highlighting the advantages of AM such as customization, modularity and rapid iteration.
On the final day, teams presented their solutions to an expert jury of industry professionals and decision-makers (Marc Fette, Linus Tillmann, Svenja Pestotnik, Jens Telgkamp, Benjamin Burgmaier, Marcel Ehlers, Holger Purol, Matthias Heinrichs, Lars Brostrup Knutsen, Jannis Eckhoff) in a 7-minute pitch, followed by a 3-minute Q&A.
Throughout the competition, teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration played a central role. Engineers, designers and business‑oriented students worked side by side, combining their strengths to develop solutions that were both technically sound and user‑centric.
The results clearly demonstrated how AM enables innovative solutions that would be difficult or impossible to realize with conventional production methods.
Award-winning concepts
After careful evaluation, the expert jury selected the following winners:
- 1st Place – TecHMinds (Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences):
A future‑oriented children’s car seat concept, carefully designed for safety, comfort and adaptability. - 2nd Place – EOS Racing Team (Helmut‑Schmidt‑Universität / Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg):
An individualized motorcycle seat, additionally awarded Best Use of Additive Manufacturing. - 3rd Place – Die Schichtarbeiter (DHBW Lörrach):
An ergonomically optimized neck pillow concept with a clear focus on user comfort.
Congratulations to all teams for their outstanding commitment and performance.
The task required not only a functional design but also a convincing overall concept, including target group definition, production strategy and economic assessment. The winning team successfully translated these requirements into a well‑structured, AM‑optimized solution.
The jury particularly praised the holistic approach, combining technical innovation with entrepreneurial thinking — a core objective of the VDI Student Competition.
A huge thank you to all jury members as well as our sponsors and partners:
Airbus, Prusa, Autodesk, Rolls Royce, Liebherr, CTC (an Airbus company), FFT, Avanco, Xelis, ingenics, DB, Eriks, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität, DHBW Ravensburg, VDI e.V.
Did you miss this year’s event? No worries — the next edition is scheduled for April 23–25, 2027, and we are very much looking forward to seeing new ideas, fresh perspectives and groundbreaking AM solutions once again.
At MGA, we are proud to support this competition and to help shape the future of Additive Manufacturing together with the next generation.