MILAM 2023 – Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase
- Date
- 2023-02-01
- Location
- Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, USA
- Host
- National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM)
About this event
MILAM 2023 brings together the people shaping how additive manufacturing is applied across military and defense environments. If your work sits at the intersection of acquisition, engineering, readiness, production, or advanced manufacturing strategy, this is a focused place to hear what matters now, see where the technology is heading, and connect with others solving similar problems. The Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase is built around practical relevance. Rather than broad hype about 3D printing, the emphasis is on government acquisition priorities, real-world defense use cases, and the technologies, processes, and partnerships that can move additive manufacturing from interest to implementation. About the Event MILAM 2023 is the 7th Annual Military Additive Manufacturing Summit & Technology Showcase, an in-person gathering centered on the role of advanced additive manufacturing in military and defense settings. The event is designed for professionals who need to understand both the strategic direction and the operational reality of deploying AM in support of defense missions. At its core, this summit combines two important perspectives: senior-level government acquisition priorities and advanced technology presentations. That means attendees can expect discussion not just about what additive manufacturing can do, but how it fits into procurement, supply chains, sustainment, qualification, and long-term capability planning. The format also matters. As a summit and technology showcase, the event is likely to balance high-level insight with direct exposure to emerging tools, systems, and approaches. That combination makes it valuable for decision-makers, technical teams, program stakeholders, and industry participants who need a clearer picture of where defense additive manufacturing is gaining traction. Whether you are evaluating adoption, scaling internal capabilities, supporting defense customers, or tracking the market and policy landscape, this event offers a concentrated view of the conversations driving the field. What to Expect Expect a program shaped around leadership perspective, technical depth, and practical application. The existing event focus points to presentations from senior-level government voices as well as advanced AM technology discussions, creating a useful mix of strategy and implementation. You can expect content areas such as: Government acquisition priorities related to additive manufacturing in military and defense contexts Advanced AM technology presentations highlighting current capabilities, developments, and potential applications Defense-focused use cases that connect innovation to operational and production realities Conversations on adoption and integration across procurement, manufacturing, maintenance, and logistics ecosystems Technology showcase opportunities to explore solutions and approaches from the broader advanced manufacturing space Because this is a technology showcase as well as a summit, attendees should be prepared for more than passive listening. The event format supports discovery, comparison, and discussion. It is a place to hear how organizations are thinking about additive manufacturing and also to examine the technologies that may support those goals. For many attendees, the most useful moments will come from the overlap between sessions and informal exchange: hearing a priority outlined on stage, then discussing implementation challenges with peers, providers, or stakeholders in person. That combination often helps turn abstract interest into clearer next steps. Why Attend If additive manufacturing is part of your current work or future planning, MILAM 2023 offers a more targeted environment than a general manufacturing event. The military and defense context changes the questions: reliability, qualification, mission readiness, supply resilience, acquisition alignment, and operational suitability all matter in different ways here. Attending can help you: Understand the current defense conversation around additive manufacturing priorities Get closer to acquisition and program-level considerations that influence adoption See advanced technologies in a context that matters to military applications Benchmark your own plans and assumptions against what others in the space are prioritizing Identify potential partners, suppliers, or collaborators working on relevant challenges Leave with a clearer sense of where AM fits today and where momentum is building This event is especially relevant for professionals who need signal, not noise. If you are responsible for evaluating manufacturing capabilities, supporting defense programs, managing innovation pathways, or translating technical potential into procurement and deployment decisions, the summit offers concentrated exposure to the right themes. It is also useful for teams trying to bridge organizational gaps. Engineers, acquisition professionals, manufacturing leaders, business development teams, and defense stakeholders often approach additive manufacturing from different angles. A summit like this creates a shared reference point for what is technically possible, strategically important, and realistically actionable. Practical Details Location: In person at Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, USA. The in-person format is important for an event like this. It gives attendees the chance to move beyond slides and into direct conversations, hands-on exploration of showcased technologies, and more natural networking with peers across government, defense, and advanced manufacturing. Date and time: Wednesday, February 1 at 12:00 AM UTC. If you are planning to attend, it is worth arriving ready to engage across both the summit and showcase components. This is the kind of event where your value often comes from a combination of session learning, on-site conversations, and the chance to compare priorities and solutions in one place. A few practical ways to get the most out of the event: Review your current AM priorities before attending so you can focus on the most relevant sessions and conversations Prepare questions tied to acquisition, implementation, or technology readiness if those are central to your role Plan time for the showcase, not just the presentations Be ready to network across disciplines, since many of the most useful insights come from adjacent perspectives For anyone working in advanced manufacturing, defense production, or military-focused technology adoption, MILAM 2023 offers a well-defined opportunity to get current, get specific, and have better conversations about where additive manufacturing can deliver real value.
Who should attend
If you work at the intersection of defense, manufacturing, and emerging production technology, this summit is built for you. - **Defense and government acquisition professionals** who need a clearer view of senior-level priorities, program direction, and where additive manufacturing is gaining real traction across military applications. - **Engineering, manufacturing, and R&D leaders** evaluating how advanced AM technologies can improve readiness, reduce lead times, and support more flexible production strategies. - **Program managers and decision-makers** responsible for modernization, sustainment, or capability development who want practical insight into how additive manufacturing fits into near-term and long-term planning. - **Industry teams serving the defense ecosystem** looking to better understand government needs, connect technology capabilities to mission requirements, and stay aligned with the current procurement landscape. - **Technical specialists and innovation teams** who want exposure to advanced AM presentations, applied use cases, and conversations grounded in operational realities rather than theory. - **Anyone tracking the future of military manufacturing** and looking for a focused, in-person environment to learn what matters now from the people shaping adoption and investment.