As part of SimScale’s Engineering Leaders Webinar Series, our recent webinar in collaboration with engineering.com focused on “Unlocking Innovation: How Real-Time Simulation with AI is Driving Faster Design Cycles and Superior Products.” Featuring insights from John Wilde, VP of Product at SimScale, and Dr. Alesandro Scafato, Team Lead of Verification Testing and Approval at ANYbotics, the discussion explored how AI and cloud-native simulation are transforming the engineering landscape.
If you missed the live session, here are the top five highlights from the webinar.
On-Demand Webinar
If the above highlights caught your interest, there are many more to see. Watch the on-demand Engineering Leaders Series webinar from SimScale on how real-time simulation with AI is driving faster design cycles and superior products by clicking the link below.
1. The Bottleneck: Simulation Lead Time Slows Innovation
John Wilde opened the discussion by identifying one of the biggest challenges in engineering today: the long lead time of simulation in the design process. Traditionally, engineers create designs and wait for simulation experts to analyze them, causing delays and slowing iteration cycles. To accelerate innovation, organizations need to reduce simulation lead time and allow engineers to get immediate feedback on their designs.
Key takeaway: Companies that empower engineers with real-time simulation tools can drastically shorten development cycles and improve product quality.
2. How Cloud-Native Simulation is Breaking Down Silos
A prime example of reducing simulation lead time comes from Uelzener Maschinen GmbH (Uelzener), a manufacturer of industrial food processing equipment. By giving hundreds of engineers direct access to SimScale, they eliminated bottlenecks, allowing design teams to validate their work instantly rather than waiting for simulation experts.
Additionally, cloud-native simulation ensures that data is always accessible across global teams, breaking down traditional engineering silos and fostering collaboration.
Key takeaway: Cloud-based tools enable distributed teams to share insights and iterate faster without IT and hardware limitations.
3. AI-Powered Simulation: What’s Available Now and What’s Next?
John Wilde showcased SimScale’s AI-driven capabilities, which are already making real-time simulation a reality:
- Physics AI: Enables instantaneous predictions of simulation results, drastically reducing computational time
- Engineering AI (proof-of-concept): Automates aspects of simulation setup, error checking, and analysis to assist engineers in making better decisions faster
While these AI-driven enhancements are still evolving, the goal is to create foundation models for various applications (e.g., pumps, valves, heat exchangers) that allow engineers to get real-time feedback on designs without needing to run full simulations.
Key takeaway: AI is already reducing simulation times, but future advancements will further integrate AI into design workflows, making real-time physics predictions and automated engineering intelligence more powerful.
4. Trusting AI in Engineering: A Matter of Accountability
Dr. Alesandro Scafato tackled an important question: Why is AI underutilized in engineering compared to other industries like software development? The answer: Accountability. Unlike AI-generated text or images, engineering decisions have real-world consequences, impacting safety, regulations, and product integrity.
To ensure AI adoption in engineering, it must be transparent and interpretable, allowing engineers to verify assumptions and remain accountable for final decisions.
Key takeaway: AI can augment engineering workflows, but human oversight remains critical in high-stakes industries.
5. The Future of AI in Simulation: Automation, Optimization & Innovation
The webinar concluded with a look at how AI and cloud-native simulation will continue to shape engineering. The vision includes:
- Automating tedious setup tasks to allow engineers to focus on design improvements
- Optimizing complex systems by leveraging AI to instantly explore vast design spaces
- Empowering engineers to shift from “doers” to decision-makers, using AI as a tool to enhance, rather than replace, their expertise
Key takeaway: AI-driven simulation will redefine engineering by accelerating design cycles and enabling engineers to focus on higher-level problem-solving and innovation.
Final Thoughts
This webinar underscored the transformative impact of AI and real-time, cloud-native simulation in engineering. By reducing simulation lead time, breaking down silos, and integrating AI-driven insights, organizations can drive faster design cycles and superior products.
For those who missed the live session, the full webinar is available on-demand on engineering.com. Watch it here: Webinar Recording.
Stay tuned for more insights in our Engineering Leaders Webinar Series!
