Home / 3D Printing Events / Northwest Florida cements role as aerospace manufacturing hub 3D Printing Events Northwest Florida cements role as aerospace manufacturing hub Oqton won this year’s distortion-prediction challenge at the ASTRO-InSPIRE Tech Showcase Joseph Caron-Dawe August 19, 2026 1 minute read Stay up to date with everything that is happening in the wonderful world of AM via our LinkedIn community. The Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America) and Florida State University’s Institute for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Research, and Education (FSU InSPIRE) hosted the second annual ASTRO-InSPIRE Tech Showcase at the Emerald Grande in Destin, Florida last week. The event hosted leaders from ASTRO America, FSU InSPIRE, Florida State University Research and Triumph Gulf Coast Inc., and opened with keynote remarks from U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis. This year’s event centered on distortion prediction and compensation in laser powder bed fusion . Solution providers Ansys, Siemens, Dassault, Autodesk, Cadence and Oqton presented competing approaches, evaluated against benchmarking criteria using real parts rather than test articles. ASTRO America named Oqton the winner for its distortion prediction and compensation approach on LPBF-processed Inconel 718. “Northwest Florida has always played an outsized role in defending our nation, and now we have an opportunity to lead the next generation of American manufacturing as well,” said Patronis. “The work ASTRO America, FSU InSPIRE, Triumph Gulf Coast, and our industry partners are doing is bringing cutting-edge technology out of the lab and into production right here in Northwest Florida. That means a stronger defense industrial base, more American-made technology, and new opportunities for our workforce and local economy. “I’m proud to support the partnerships and investments that are making Northwest Florida a national hub for aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing.” FSU InSPIRE launched with an initial grant from Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. and has since developed advanced manufacturing facilities, aero-testing capabilities and workforce development programs across the Gulf Coast of Florida. Tags future Joseph Caron-Dawe August 19, 2026 1 minute read