Airtech and Evergreen Additive partner to advance defense and maritime large-format AM

Airtech Advanced Materials Group and Evergreen Additive have entered an exclusive supply agreement targeting large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) for defense and maritime applications. Under the deal, Airtech will provide materials, business, and technical guidance, while Evergreen commits to using Airtech products exclusively across all its LFAM work. The companies will jointly develop materials for next-generation marine and defense needs. Evergreen Additive, founded in 2025 as a spinout from the University of Maine's Advanced Structures & Composites Center, focuses on commercial marine tooling and defense unmanned systems. Airtech, a family-run enterprise established in 1973, supplies specialty materials across aerospace, wind, automotive, and marine sectors globally.

This partnership reflects a broader shift in defense procurement: the sector is moving past pilot projects and demanding reliable, scaled AM supply chains with engineered materials. By locking in an exclusive materials-supplier relationship, Airtech and Evergreen eliminate the sourcing uncertainty and qualification delays that have historically slowed LFAM adoption in mission-critical environments. The deal positions both companies to serve the U.S. Navy's growing interest in AM for shipbuilding and unmanned maritime vehicles, a segment where large-format tooling and direct-print structures can reduce lead times and supply-chain vulnerability. It also mirrors the pattern of vertical integration seen in aerospace AM, where materials and process co-development accelerates qualification.

For Airtech, this agreement converts its decades of composites expertise into a defense-relevant AM channel without building its own production capacity. For Evergreen, it secures a predictable materials pipeline essential for scaling from lab demonstrations to production contracts. The practical test will be whether the joint materials development yields qualified feedstocks that meet naval certification standards within program timelines, not just technical demonstrations.