Industry Summary Articles

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Unifying Engineering Data, PLM, and AI to Accelerate Manufacturing Performance

Takeaways

• Manufacturers cannot achieve an end-to-end digital thread without integrating data across CAD, PLM, ERP, and simulation systems. Fragmented technical data disrupts manufacturing planning, slows NPI/NPD cycles, and complicates lifecycle traceability.
• AI-driven manufacturing depends on unified and contextualized engineering data. Without consistent structures, attributes, and change information flowing downstream, advanced capabilities like copilots, RAG search, MCP-driven automation, and predictive insights cannot be deployed meaningfully.
• Modern product manufacturing operations require workflows and PLM extensions that reflect real engineering-to-manufacturing processes. Out-of-the-box systems rarely provide the level of...

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Takeaways

• NVIDIA and Dassault Systèmes announced a new partnership that establishes a standard for industrial AI combining Dassault’s virtual twins with NVIDIA’s computing power to create scientifically validated models that respect the laws of physics.
• The introduction of 3D Universes and virtual companions known as Aura, Leo, and Marie, represents a shift from generic chatbots and low-level machine learning optimizations to role-based, domain-specific AI agents for engineers, scientists, and business planners.
• With the rise of AI, protecting intellectual property is paramount. The 3DXEXPERIENCE platform now emphasizes Intellectual Property (IP) Lifecycle Management, ensuring that proprietary...

This webinar will explore how manufacturers are evolving their digital strategy, moving from basic data search to active AI agents that solve complex engineering challenges.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 26 February 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces that Dr. Diego Tamburini, Director of CIMdata’s AI in PLM practice, will join Jeff Evernham, Chief Product Officer at Sinequa by ChapsVision, for an upcoming webinar: “Agentic AI: Moving Beyond Experiments to Enterprise Impact.” The event is...

This webinar introduces a practical framework developed by CIMdata that provides the basis for making informed AI decisions.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 17 February 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the digital transformation it enables, announces an upcoming free educational webinar, “The Five AI Implementation Patterns in PLM: A Framework for Informed Decision-Making.” The webinar will take place on Thursday, 12 March 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) and last for one hour.

The arrival of generative AI and its...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 12 February 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces the release of an eBook titled “Designcenter X NX Essentials: Bridging the CAD Collaboration Gap for Enterprise Manufacturers.” The publication explores the challenges of siloed design data. It describes how Siemens Digital Industries Software leverages its browser-based Designcenter X NX suite to create a unified, scalable digital thread.

As product complexity increases, manufacturers often struggle with fragmented CAD environments that lead to the loss of data and intelligence during cross-functional collaboration. Traditionally,...

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Building on Your Competitive Edge with Hexagon’s Smart Machine Shop and Smart AI

Takeaways

• Hexagon’s solutions are a continuum of rich software heritage, contemporary best practice, and strategic incorporation of emerging technologies.
• Hexagon solutions reduce bottlenecks by automating processes leading up to NC code on the shop floor.
• ProPlanAI, which uses customers’ proprietary data for machine learning to automate programming tasks, is a potential game-changer.
• Hexagon offers AI that trains itself on proprietary practices and is shielded from external exploitation.
• Proprietary practices captured by Hexagon’s AI inform their CAM solutions, as well as the manufacturing company’s next-generation...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 3 February 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, today announced the launch of its 8th annual PLM Status & Trends survey. This industry-standard research initiative gathers critical insights from PLM practitioners to map the evolving landscape of digital transformation and the Digital Thread.

This eagerly awaited survey is designed for PLM practitioners and leaders...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 29 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, is pleased to announce the return of its highly acclaimed half-day Digital Transformation Master Class to be held in conjunction with Aras ACE 2026 at the Hilton Miami Downtown on April 13, 2026.

As industrial organizations move beyond AI experimentation toward enterprise-scale implementation, the need for a robust Digital Transformation strategy has never been more critical. This half-day Master...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 28 January 2026—CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces that Accenture, Autodesk, Capgemini, SAP, and Siemens Digital Industries Software have joined as sponsors for its landmark research program, “AI in Product Development.”

The participation of these five industry leaders, along with many industrial companies, shows how important AI has become for digital transformation. As sponsors, these organizations will provide the support and industry perspective needed to examine how AI is used, how mature it is, and what ROI it delivers in...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA, January 26, 2026— CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces the expansion of its industry-leading PLM Certificate Program. In response to the evolving needs of the global industrial sector, CIMdata’s assessment-based certificate programs are now available through a Virtual Live Classroom format, complementing its traditional In-Person classes.

In...