EXPERT SESSION 2025. The Recap

Last Thursday, October 23, 2025, the Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium once again became the meeting point for the 3DEXPERIENCE ecosystem. Organized by Dassault Systèmes in collaboration with CADTECH and other technology partners, Expert Session 2025 brought together industry leaders, universities, and sector representatives for a day that once again proved that the future of engineering is already being built today.

From the very first moments, the atmosphere was filled with inspiration. Real projects, bold ideas, and a shared vision: that of an increasingly connected, sustainable, and intelligent industrial environment.

From the Smart Factory to the Software-Defined Vehicle

Among the day’s highlights were presentations from Bridgestone EMEA, showcasing how advanced planning and integrated execution are transforming their plants into true Smart Factories, and Simoldes Plastics, which shared its evolution toward collaborative product management with 3DEXPERIENCE—bringing design, quality, purchasing, and production together in one unified environment.

Unolab Manufacturing focused on the synchronization of people and resources through its advanced planning project powered by DELMIA Ortems, while Televes Corporation captivated the audience with its journey from home antennas to critical communications, supported by electromagnetic simulation with SIMULIA CST.

One of the most anticipated moments came with Volkswagen Group, which unveiled its ONE.PLM program—a new collaborative environment for all its brands (Volkswagen, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, and Porsche)—along with a clear message to its entire supply chain: digital collaboration will be the key to the new era of automotive development.

From Defense to the Art of Composites

The event also featured a systems engineering perspective with Grupo Oesía, demonstrating how Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) has become an essential ally for defense and security.

To close the industrial cases block, Managing Composites left a lasting impression with its vision of engineering as an art—blending technical precision, creativity, and high-performance composite materials to design some of the world’s most exclusive hypercars.

Artificial Intelligence Takes the Stage

The session “Building AI”, led by Ángel Clemente from Dassault Systèmes, marked a turning point. Over 50 new AI-powered features will arrive throughout 2025 across applications such as CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, and SOLIDWORKS.

Among them, AURA, the new AI from Dassault Systèmes, stood out as the assistant set to revolutionize the way we design, simulate, and manage projects.

CATIA: Engineering Without Limits

The CATIA session, led by Óscar Puente from Dassault Systèmes, was one of the most anticipated.
International expert Daniel Pyzak presented the “Top 10 Values of CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE”, highlighting the key advantages over CATIA V5: greater traceability, real-time collaboration, and a significant reduction in time thanks to automation and AI that streamline design and validation iterations.

The session also featured a roundtable with universities driving engineering talent through Dassault Systèmes solutions. Participants included Formula Student Bizkaia (EHU team), UPC Space Program, and UPM MotoStudent Petrol, who shared their perspective that the new generation of engineers can no longer imagine working with tools lacking digital continuity, such as CATIA V5.

For these teams, the 3DEXPERIENCE ecosystem represents the natural environment to collaborate, automate tasks, accelerate processes, and manage projects in an integrated way—just as they will in the companies of the future.

The Smart Factory: Connecting People, Processes, and Planning

The DELMIA session, hosted by Alejandro Navas from Dassault Systèmes, focused on the current challenges of the manufacturing industry and how smart factories are evolving into more connected, agile, and sustainable environments.

Under the title “Challenges of the Manufacturing Industry”, Navas addressed the importance of combining agility and responsiveness in the face of fluctuating demand, leveraging the advanced planning and dynamic sequencing capabilities of DELMIA Ortems.

He also emphasized the shift toward comprehensive plant management beyond MES, where synchronization between resources, operations, and maintenance becomes a key factor for competitiveness.

CADTECH: Where Innovation Becomes Reality

CADTECH once again played an active role throughout the event, supporting key industry players on their path toward digitalization.

In the afternoon, the team led two Live Demos that captured everyone’s attention:

“Who’s Afraid of APQP?”, presented by Ricardo Simão, demonstrated how to structure the Advanced Product Quality Planning process within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
“PPAP Under Control”, presented by Sergio Velázquez, showed how to keep all Production Part Approval Process deliverables under control—automating tasks and ensuring full traceability.

Two demonstrations that translated theory into practice, making it clear that operational excellence is built through digital, collaborative, and connected processes.

A perfect close to a day that didn’t just talk about innovation—it brought it to life. The event ended on a high note with an unforgettable performance at the WAH Madrid musical.

Expert Session 2025 set the bar very high.

Only one question remains:
What surprises will the 2026 edition bring?