The Sanjay Mortimer RepRap Festival (SMRRF) is back in Manchester on 7–8 March 2026, uniting makers, engineers, students, and industry players for two days of immersive workshops, hands-on demonstrations, robotics competitions, and a glimpse into the future of 3D printing.
Organised by the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation in partnership with PrintCity, SMRRF 2026 will feature a keynote from Dr Adrian Bowyer MBE, founder of the RepRap Project, on the future of “Printing Electronics,” alongside the Additive Manufacturing Quiz hosted by Joel Telling, a.k.a. 3D Printing Nerd.
Festival-goers can also experience returning crowd-pleasers such as Death Racers—high-energy 3D printed robot battles—plus a major raffle and auction, including the chance to win the Original Voron 2 Serial 0 prototype, meticulously restored by Steve Peterson, with the winner announced live during the event.
Supporting a Legacy: Innovation with Purpose
Organizers explained that SMRRF 2026 is also a fundraiser for the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation, created in memory of Sanjay Mortimer, co-founder of E3D and a key contributor to the 3D printing community. Known for his neurodivergence, Sanjay advanced the industry through open-source initiatives and creative problem-solving approaches.
“SMRRF captures everything the SMF stands for; it’s our major fundraiser & a rare chance for our beneficiaries to connect in a space where they feel energised & understood. Bringing them together with donors & leading additive manufacturing companies creates a festival of community, innovation & inspiration shaping the next generation of STEM talent,” said Teula Bradshaw, CEO of the foundation.
The Legacy of RepRap
RepRap, short for Replicating Rapid-protoyper, was conceived as a 3D printer that could manufacture most of its own components, allowing users to build new machines from existing ones. The idea was developed by Adrian Bowyer at Bath University and shared online in early 2004. By May 2008, Bowyer, Vik Olliver, and Ed Sells had successfully assembled the first “child” RepRap using parts made by a conventional 3D printer.
From the start, RepRap embraced open-source principles. Its designs were released under the GNU General Public License, making them freely available to anyone. In a 2018 interview with Bowyer, he explained that his goal was to make a self-replicating manufacturing system widely accessible while preventing wealth from concentrating in the hands of a few.
The community thrived, members shared ideas and refinements online, and some eventually founded companies like Prusa Research and former MakerBot, which was later acquired by Stratasys in 2013.
The 3D Printing Industry Awards are back. Make your nominations now.
Do you operate a 3D printing start-up? Reach readers, potential investors, and customers with the 3D Printing Industry Start-up of Year competition.
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Linkedin.
Featured image shows SMRRF 2026 Banner. Image via Sanjay Mortimer Foundation.
