2026 PLM Market & Industry Forum
AI in PLM: Expanding Capabilities Across the Product Lifecycle
An event exclusively for PLM Software & Service Providers
North American PLM Market & Industry Forum
Tuesday, 7 April 2026 - PLM Market & Industry Forum | The Venue | Ann Arbor, MI | 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 pm
Agenda
- 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.| Registration and Networking Over Continental Breakfast
- 8:30 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. | Welcome
Janie Gurley, Data Governance & Success Practice Director, CIMdata [bio] - 8:35 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. | The State of PLM – Today’s Market & Leading Trends
Peter Bilello, President & CEO, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
Gain insight into the current state of the global PLM industry. This presentation will explore emerging trends and examine their potential impact on participants. CIMdata will also address the evolving PLM economy and key trends. - 10:05 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Networking Break
- 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | 2025 Market Analysis Results
Alan Mendel, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
Recognized as the best source for comprehensive and accurate insight into the PLM industry, CIMdata's annual global market analysis is first revealed in this setting. Get ready to dive into the market analysis results for 2025. - 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. | Networking Lunch
- 1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | The State of AI in PLM: Results from CIMdata's Industry Research
Working with several leading PLM solution providers, CIMdata researched the state of the art and practice of AI in PLM. The following presentations will describe the work performed and the results achieved.
- - 1:15 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. | AI Overview
Diego Tamburini, Ph.D., Executive Consultant & Director, AI in PLM Practice, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
This presentation lays the essential foundation for understanding the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in PLM. We will cover core concepts and present CIMdata's authoritative perspective on the technology's current state, future potential, and where AI-enabled capabilities strategically fit within the PLM landscape. The discussion will address the practical considerations and challenges companies face when evaluating and implementing these transformative solutions. The presentation will conclude with the introduction of CIMdata's first global benchmark study on AI in PLM—a coordinated research effort surveying industrial enterprises, software providers, and service providers across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. This benchmark establishes the fact-based foundation for the detailed findings presented in subsequent sessions.
- - 1:50 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. | AI in Industry
Peter Bilello, President & CEO, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
Leveraging exclusive data from the industrial companies participating in CIMdata's global AI in PLM study, this presentation uncovers how organizations are currently driving AI adoption across product development and engineering. The presentation reveals key strategic elements, including where companies are identifying the most promising opportunities, how they are structuring their initiatives, what early performance results they are capturing, and the critical obstacles slowing progress. Key data points to be shared include common use cases gaining traction, specific metrics used for measuring success, gaps between initial expectations and realized outcomes, and how organizations are proactively addressing responsible AI and compliance concerns. These direct findings offer unparalleled insight into the real-world priorities and experiences of industrial leaders leveraging AI in PLM today.- - 2:25 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | AI in the PLM Economy
Diego Tamburini, Ph.D., Executive Consultant & Director, AI in PLM Practice, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
Leveraging insights from software and service providers participating in CIMdata's global AI in PLM study, this presentation details how the solution provider community is actively building and implementing AI capabilities. The presentation explores solution providers' AI investment priorities, core development strategies, and the most significant opportunities to deliver client value. At the core of this presentation is a crucial comparative analysis of perspectives between industrial clients and providers regarding AI's current readiness, expected impact, and strategic priorities. Understanding these viewpoints is essential for both groups to identify areas of strong alignment and opportunities to match solution provider capabilities with client needs better. The analysis offers actionable intelligence for providers navigating AI development decisions and for their clients evaluating AI-enabled PLM solutions.
- 3:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. | Networking Break
- 3:20 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. | Updates on Key Topics
- - 3:20 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. | The Value Potential of Digital Twins and Digital Threads – Results from an Industry Benchmark
James Roche, Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Practice, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
CIMdata, on behalf of the Aerospace & Defense PLM Action Group (AD PAG), spearheaded a crucial industry study in partnership with four leading organizations and engaged with seven key digital twin-digital thread (DT-DT) solution providers to assess commercially available offerings and advance the industry's understanding of the what, why, and how of DT-DT investment. This presentation will reveal the significant outcomes of this coordinated effort, including the extensive portfolio of practical use cases assembled, the surprising range of implementation approaches and solution architectures that were applied, a general assessment of commercial capability, and what is working today. The presentation will conclude with a strategic view of the future and a defined path forward for organizations looking to maximize their DT-DT investment.
- - 3:50 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. | News from the Field
Peter Bilello, President & CEO, CIMdata [bio] [presentation]
This presentation pulls back the curtain on CIMdata's active industrial consulting experiences, providing a timely update on key dynamics often unseen in the broader PLM market. Attendees will gain direct access to critical, non-biased intelligence and strategic insights derived from our recent work with global industrial clients. Topics include emerging PLM trends in shifting global economies, significant strategic moves and unmet needs reported directly by industrial clients, and the essential field realities that PLM solution providers must recognize to align their roadmaps and value propositions effectively. This is actionable truth from the PLM trenches and should not be missed.
- 4:20 p.m – 4:30 p.m. | Closing Comments
- - 2:25 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | AI in the PLM Economy
If you have any questions, please call:
USA: +1 734.668.9922