AM Village 2026 officially started this week at Albacete Air Base (Spain), and EWF was on site for the opening two days, 16 and 17 March, contributing to the programme from the outset.
The first sessions brought together defence stakeholders and the wider AM community to focus on practical capability-building and the shared frameworks needed to support reliable additive manufacturing deployment.

Over these first two days, EWF supported a dedicated Train-the-Trainers Seminar, promoted by the German Navy and AMLS WP600, focused on strengthening a shared and defence-relevant approach to AM training.

On Day 1, the seminar gathered 25 participants from Armed Forces and Ministries of Defence, including representatives from the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Austria and Germany, for the “SW 08/14 Seminar on Certificate course for AM Trainers – Level 1 BASIC”. The discussions centred on a harmonised Level 1 Basic AM training curriculum across NATO nations, aligned with ISO-related standardisation and the AMLS WP600 framework, supporting a common basis for technical interoperability.
Participants exchanged national training resources and case studies, mapped existing tools and troubleshooting practices and explored how joint resources can accelerate consistent delivery of AM education. The seminar also outlined a certified roadmap, endorsed by EWF, to support the rollout of standardised AM training across participating nations.

Within this Train-the-Trainers track, EWF presented the International Additive Manufacturing Qualification System (IAMQS) and shared updates linked to recent developments in standardisation, reinforcing the role of harmonised qualification and learning outcomes in enabling confident AM implementation. In synergy, AILEEN was introduced through its Competence Units, with trainers invited to provide feedback to ensure the content remains relevant and responsive to defence requirements.

On Day 2, the programme continued with “SW 08/14 – Seminar on certificate course For AM Trainers Level 1 BASIC (Session 2): AILEEN AM Design Course Validation”, a dedicated validation session and discussion where trainers reviewed the AILEEN AM Design course and provided input to ensure it meets defence needs and operational expectations.

We also highlight the participation of FAN3D, who shared key takeaways from the “For AM Trainers – Level 1 BASIC” track and reinforced the value of harmonised training and qualification pathways for defence-relevant AM.

EWF will remain present at AM Village over the coming days through DILAPRO and AILEEN, continuing to contribute to discussions and activities that support reliable AM implementation in defence and industry.