Speakers

Dr. Stephan Arndt is Head of Technology and Innovation for Mining One. The focus of his work is on advanced 3D numerical modelling methods for geotechnical consulting in open pit, underground and cave mining operations. Previous roles include Senior Manager in Dassault Systèmes' GEOVIA and A/Professor and Director Mining & Resources Engineering at Monash University. He has been mentoring and managing teams specialised in Geomechanics for Mining and Oil & Gas over the last two decades. With 30 years of experience using SIMULIA Abaqus and user-defined constitutive models, he has been part of studies for major mining projects in Australia and overseas and has served on various committees and industry advisory boards.

Tom Acland is CEO 3DEXCITE at Dassault Systèmes.

He has built transformative businesses since joining a DotCom startup at the millennium's turn. His experience includes roles at Microsoft, Publicis Groupe, and Bosch. As CTO of Razorfish in Germany, he led innovative programs for brands like Audi and Novartis. He co-founded COBI, an IoT startup focused on smart mobility, which was acquired by Bosch. Now, Tom leads a global team at 3DEXCITE, developing virtual commercial twins for industrial companies. Fluent in German and French, he also coaches a Little League soccer team in West London and plays Fortnite with his kids.

Sebastien Azevedo works as the head of sponsoring at SP80. Sebastien Azevedo grew up all across South East Asia before moving to Switzerland for his studies. He completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (expected date in July 2025) in Mechanical Engineering at EPFL, specializing in Design & Production.

Sebastien joined SP80 in February 2021, initially working in the prototyping team before transitioning to Kite R&D and later becoming the Test Manager. After the record-breaking project relocated to the South of France, he took charge of the Association’s Sponsoring Department.

Recently, he co-launched the Æther project, focusing on automatic kite control modules to leverage SP80’s research for renewable energy promotion.

Andreas Bauch operates as a product development professional at Sivantos GmbH. He was born in Kohtla-Järve, Estonia, in 1987. From 2008 to 2013, he studied electrical engineering at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany and received his M.Sc. degree in 2013. Afterwards, he joined the Institute for Electronics Engineering, Erlangen, Germany, as a research assistant to work on his PhD thesis "Concept development and construction of a highly integrated oxygen sensor at 60GHz". He received his PhD in 2019 and joined Sivantos GmbH in the same year. His working fields cover millimeter wave integrated circuits, 3D electromagnetic simulations and RF circuit design.

Since July 2011, Philippe Bartissol, Vice President, Industrial Equipment (IE) is responsible for defining Dassault Systèmes’ strategy and 3DEXPERIENCE solutions’ delivery for the IE industry worldwide.
Before joining Dassault Systèmes, Philippe held several executive positions (General Manager for USA & Canada; Industrial & Purchasing VP; Product Development VP; Business Processes VP) at Sidel - a worldwide leader in packaging equipment, part of the Tetra Laval group.
During his 15 years with Sidel both in line and staff positions, Philippe designed, launched and ensured execution of enterprise transformation programs with one continuous objective: harmonize systems to get to only PLM, one CAD, one ERP, one SRM, one CRM, one sales configurator, one unified machine automation architecture and one new modular product platform.
Prior to this, Philippe drove the strategy of the Oil & Gas equipment branch of Areva group & founded the group’s representation in Singapore.
He holds a degree in aeronautics from Sup’aero engineering school & an MBA from HEC school of management in France.

Gian Paolo Bassi, with over 25 years in 3D, CAD, and PLM, is SVP of Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE Works & Customer Role Experience organizations. His role includes the GTM strategy for SOLIDWORKS on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and the evolution of the Customer Role Experience channel for mainstream innovation. Formerly, he was SOLIDWORKS CEO and SOLIDWORKS VP of R&D, guiding product and technology evolution, including cloud applications. 

As founder and CTO of RIWEBB, he developed tech for Mechanical and Architectural Design Automation, collaborating with Dassault Systèmes. Earlier, as VP and CTO of ImpactXoft, he pioneered functional modeling and collaboration apps, now part of CATIA, holding five patents. His journey began with R&D roles at companies like Computervision and think3. Gian Paolo holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Bologna.

Jochen Bechtold works as the Managing Director Germany at Capgemini Engineering. He heads the Global Business Line ‘Capgemini Engineering’ in Germany. Together with the Capgemini Engineering team and the strength of the Capgemini Group, his goal is to further expand the convergence of the physical and digital world towards ‘Intelligent Industry’ and to make our clients' value chains, products and services even more networked, data-driven, intelligent and sustainable. With 18 years of global experience in management and IT consulting in the manufacturing industry, Jochen has in-depth knowledge of the entire manufacturing value chain: Engineering, sales, operations, supply chain, logistics, service as well as support functions.

Tobias Berhorn holds the position of Vice President Service Function Release & Product Data Management at CLAAS KGaA mbH.
He started his professional career with dual studies of mechanical engineering at CLAAS in 2007. 

After completing his studies he worked in several positions in industrial engineering, supporting CLAAS´ international manufacturing network. 

Following his master’s degree in mechatronics Tobias shifted his focus towards product data management and now drives with the team of the Service Function Release & Product Data Management the digitalization of industrial engineering processes at CLAAS.

Dr. Berroth is Co-Founder and currently works as the Managing Director at the Center for Systems Engineering (CSE) as well as Managing Chief Engineer for Systems Engineering of the Institute for Machine Elements & Systems Engineering (MSE). He studied Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. After completing his studies, he was employed from 2012 to 2014 at IME as a research associate in the Drive Technology department. His research focused on the analysis of entire system and drivetrain dynamics in wind turbines. In the teaching field, he was responsible for the design subject area.
After 2014, Mr. Berroth continued his work at the Center for Wind Power Drives (CWD). There he headed the System Design department's modeling and simulation research group until August 2017. This research group's work focuses on the further development of simulation methods based on elastic multi-body simulation in the field of Machine Dynamics & Machine Acoustics.
Dr. Berroth returned to Institute for Machine Elements and Systems Engineering (MSE), formerly IME, in September 2017 and since then he has headed the Department of Systems Engineering - Modelling and Simulation (formerly Drive Technology).
In 2018 Dr. Berroth co-founded the CSE at RWTH Aachen Campus and serves as Managing Director of the CSE.
Since 2023, Dr. Berroth is Managing Chief Engineer for Systems Engineering of the Institute for Machine Elements & Systems Engineering. 

Arnab Bhattacharya is a Director at Dassault Systèmes and leads the EuroCentral Industrial Equipment Industry Consulting team. In this role he works closely with the clients in executing digital transformation projects. He has been with Dassault Systèmes since 2012 and was previously responsible for leading the SIMULIA EuroCentral Industry Consulting team for some of the core manufacturing industries.
He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Université catholique de Louvain. He is also active in industry associations like VDMA, ZVEI and IDTA where he works with partners from the Industry on projects like Manufacturing-X.

Claire Biot was appointed Vice President, Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry at Dassault Systèmes in 2019. Her multifaceted experience in healthcare-related research, business and government administration supports Dassault Systèmes’ aim to drive digital transformation in Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry. As Life Sciences companies shift their focus to precision medicine, she is responsible for helping companies adopt a new unified approach to sustainable innovation by using a scientific and business platform to improve the patient or physician experience. Claire also drives Dassault Systèmes long-term growth in healthcare, leveraging virtual twin experiences to achieve medical practice excellence and value-based care.

Claire Biot holds an MSc in Engineering from Ecole polytechnique (Paris, France) and an MSc in Biological Sciences from the Watson School of Biological Sciences (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA). She studied cancer immunotherapy at Institut Pasteur (Paris, France), where she graduated with a PhD in immunology in 2012, and she holds a Honorary Doctorate from Long Island University, NY, USA (2023).

Claire began her career at the French Ministry of Health as Head of Division, Health Products Pricing and Reimbursement (2012-2015). She then joined Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP, Paris, France, 2015-2019), where she was appointed Managing Director of the Health Products and Technologies Central Agency, allowing her to build strong experience in health products development, manufacturing and procurement as well as patient care. Claire joined Dassault Systèmes in March 2019.

Yasmine Blair brings along over 20 years of experience as a television and live-event presenter, numbering TV networks MTV, RTLII and Servus TV / Red Bull Media House amongst her former partners.

Yasmine is now based in Berlin, Germany but always on the move, moderating large-scale events and productions for all sorts of clients and crowds in various cities and countries.
Some recent stage work includes the closing ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games Berlin for 30,000 international guests, or the G7 High Level Multi-Stakeholder Conference for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, each hosting high-rank politicians, athletes and celebrities.
On the other hand, corporate film productions, whether in-house or commercial, for her regular clients, such as BMW, Siemens, Mercedes-Benz or Continental AG, feature in-depth interviews and panel discussions with the companies’ leading CEOs.

As a dual citizen of the United States and Austria, Yasmine grew up with the best of both worlds. She lives diversity and loves her job. So whether standing next to a rock star, CEO or the mayor, she is always thrilled to navigate through any given situation, no matter how unexpected it may be. This, in return, gives reassurance and comfort to those around her, making it easy for speakers in any position to actually enjoy their time in the spotlight. And that – is the key to a successful collaboration.

Nicolas Brossardt works as the project manager of functional development and data management at the BMW AG. He studied mechanical engineering (thermodynamics and fluidmechanics) at Technical University of Munich and completed his PHD in the field of electrical machine cooling at Universität der Bundeswehr.

Nicolas has been working for 7 years at BMW, gaining experience in several IT roles and projects to improve simulation within the product development process. His general motivation includes the empowerment of mechanical engineers through innovative methods and tools.

Since September 2024, Martin Brust is working as Director Global Engineering Services. 

He started his career with his studies of Plastics Engineering, working in the  Automotive Industry since 1991 in various companies as Design Engineer, Engineering Manager, since 2014 with Joyson Safety Systems as CAD and PLM Manager and now in his current position.

Jeroen Buring ist seit über 25 Jahren im direkten und indirekten Softwarevertrieb und Marketing tätig. In seiner Position als Senior Director leitet er industriespezifische Vertriebs- und technische Teams, die sich auf den Einsatz der 3DEXPERIENCE Plattform in den Branchen Industrial Equipment und Home & Lifestyle fokussieren. Seine Vertriebserfahrung sammelte er in verschiedenen globalen und mittelständischen Unternehmen der Fertigungsindustrie.

Nicolas Calame is the head of technical office at OMEGA SA.

Nicolas Calame studied Mechanical Engineering at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), and have more than 25 years of experience in the watch industry. After having worked in fabrication, methods and conception, he joined OMEGA SA in 2010 as Quality Manager. He is now the Head of Technical Office at OMEGA SA, and 3DEXPERIENCE Project Manager.

Benoit Dauchin is Dassault Systèmes’s Vice President for Consumer Products, Retail, Home and Lifestyle markets.

His role is to leverage 3DS’ unique platform of technologies and adapt to the specific needs of consumer facing businesses. Providing forward looking and tailor crafted solutions. Helping companies to address market trends and imposed step change requirements. Propelling cross-functional collaboration, accelerating development pipeline, digitalizing road-to-market, gaining supply agility, and responding customers aspiration for personalized, experiential, authentic and responsible products.

Before joining 3DS, Benoit has held diverse executive responsibilities within product and retail. Servicing global players such as Procter & Gamble, LVMH, Nestlé, Kingfisher, or Vodafone. Also supporting private equity funds and family offices, as operational partner or board director.

He has specialized in orchestrating transformational agendas. Credentials include Nespresso or Rimowa growth journeys.

Benoit is a graduate from M.I.T., with a dual engineering and business education.

Dr. Benoit Derat currently works as the Senior Director of Engineering for Vector Network Analyzers, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Over-The-Air and Antenna Test applications at Rohde & Schwarz GmbH. He  received the Engineering degree from SUPELEC, in 2002, and the Ph.D. degree (Hons.) in physics from the University of Paris XI, in 2006. From 2002 to 2008, he worked at SAGEM Mobiles, as an Antenna Design and Electromagnetics Research Engineer. In 2009, he founded ART-Fi, which created the first vector-array specific absorption rate measurement system. He operated as the CEO and the President of ART-Fi, before joining Rohde & Schwarz, Munich, in 2017. Dr. Derat is a Senior Member of the Antenna Measurement Techniques Association (AMTA) and a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE EMC Society (2024 – 2025). He is the author of more than 80 scientific journals and conference papers, and an inventor on more than 40 patents, with main focus in antenna systems near and far-field characterization techniques.

Guilhem Destriau is President of the Student Association at SP80. 

He joined SP80 in September 2022 as a member of the system integration team. When the record project moved to the South of France, Guilhem led the search for a new direction for the student association, which remained in Lausanne. 

As President of the association, he launched the Æther project, focusing on developing an automatic kite control system to harness SP80’s kite power research for promoting renewable energy practices.

He grew up in Paris and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is now pursuing a Master’s in Communications Systems.

Working as the Head of Structures at ASTRA e.V. Bremen, Atharva is an aspiring Space Engineer. He grew up in India before moving to Germany for pursuing M.Sc. Space Engineering at the University of Bremen.


He loves building rockets and his experience at ASTRA e.V. is a great example of that. He initially started as a Structural Engineer and supported the test set-up as well as the assembly of the rocket at ASTRA e.V.’s first hot fire campaign at DLR Lampoldshausen in June 2023. Furthermore, Atharva’s expertise in CAD and FEM supported ASTRA e.V.'s bid to launch at European Rocketry Competition 2023.


Apart from rocket manufacturing, he also likes modelling a lot and he is a Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional in Mechanical Design (CSWP). His achievements in competitions like Leonardo DaVinci Codex Design Challenge and AAKRUTI 2021 show his love towards Dassault Systèmes and its software solutions.

Dr. Florian Dötzer is Managing Director of TUM Venture Lab Aerospace in Munich supporting entrepreneurs and deep-tech startups. He is mentor at international startup programs such as German Accelerator, Scale-up.NRW and Sustainable Aerolab. Florian is certified board member (Aufsichtsrat) by Steinbeis-IFM.
Previously, Florian lived in Singapore for over a decade, founding two deep-tech companies in the field of advanced materials manufacturing. Before that, he was instrumental in setting up the “TUM CREATE – Centre for Electromobility” Singapore.
Before moving to Singapore, Florian was Principal Consultant at BGW Management Advisory Group in Switzerland, founded Jet Aviation’s innovation group in Basel and held various leadership positions at Altran Group, Airbus and BMW Group in Munich, Delhi, Bangalore and Hamburg.

Bertrand Dupont is Vice President of Product development EMEA for LEM. His mission is delivering on strategic Product Roadmaps while driving innovation towards customers on current sensor applications. Previous roles include Product Group R&D director in Valeo for Climate control and for compressor, Chief engineer for compressor in Mahle and Delphi. His early experience in electrical car world cup in 1996 reinforced his passion for electrification and drove him to the automotive industry. With 27 years of experience in developing automotive products linked to thermal management and the last 10 years particularly with the electrification of cars, he has been part of the development of component mounted in xEV cars reaching the worldwide market.

Jens Fabrowsky, an experienced, renowned top manager with an impressive track record at Bosch, joined the NEURA Robotics management team as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) on December 1, 2023. His decision to join NEURA Robotics is based on the conviction that the company plays a crucial role in realizing the visions of Industry 4.0 and cognitive robotics. Fabrowsky brings extensive experience in product development and operational leadership, which he is now applying at NEURA Robotics to support the company in its scale-up phase.


His extensive experience in scaling businesses and hands-on mentality make him a valuable addition to NEURA Robotics as the company solidifies its position as a leading cognitive robotics hub in Germany.

Hans-Jürgen Falk is Head of IT Engineering Solutions at CLAAS KGaA mbH, one of the world's leading manufacturers of agricultural engineering equipment. Holding a diploma in electrical engineering and automation, his career expands over several roles in the field of manufacturing and IT. As a thought leader, he is passionate about driving innovation initiatives together with his team forward. In that context, CLAAS has been awarded for its “Digital Product Development” by RWTH Aachen which stood out due to the Strategic Believes approach, consisting of model-based systems engineering, 3D continuity and data intelligence.

Joost Fastenrath practices as Vice President Product Data Services at B. Braun SE.

He wrote his thesis in 'Information Management' (Diplom Wirtschaftsinformatiker) in cooperation with B.Braun and started directly afterward as an SAP Inhouse Consultant at B.Braun. After being a project member to rollout SAP to subsidiaries, he took over the Program Management for the SAP rollout, managing three rollout teams in three regions in parallel. After accomplishing the vast majority of the rollouts, Joost Fastenrath moved from IT into one of their divisions to take over the role as Head of Operational Excellence. He introduced the LEAN Philosophy within administrative departments and production. This was followed by a role as Head of Plant Operations for Active Medical Devices, running one of their main production sites in daily operations. From there, he transitioned back into more digitalization topics and took over a role as VP Product Data Services, including the introduction of a group-wide PLM Platform.

Thomas Fischer is head of the department for embedded software. He studied electrical engineering in Erlangen and Valéncia (Spain) from 1996 to 2002. Until 2004, he worked at Siemens Audiologische Technik in Erlangen in a team developing the world's first wireless system for hearing aids.
From 2004 to 2011 he worked at the Chair of Electromagnetic Fields at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg as a research assistant and at the same time until 2006 at Continental in Nuremberg in the field of electromagnetic compatibility.
Since 2011 he has been employed at Sivantos GmbH (WS Audiology Group). Until May 2024 he was heading the department for radio system development, since June he is heading the department for embedded software.

Sasa Gajic serves as the Director of CATIA Global Sales for Cities, Public Sector, and Education at Dassault Systèmes Deutschland GmbH, based in Munich.
He studied electrical engineering and informatics at the University of Kassel, earning both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.

Sasa began his career as a Project Manager at Hella before transitioning to consultancy roles at companies like Gigatronik and CSC Deutschland Solutions, where he focused on management, process optimization, IT processes, and product lifecycle management (PLM). In 2011, he joined Dassault Systèmes, holding leadership roles in sales, services, and business strategy across Central Europe. During this time, he was responsible for revenue growth, partner management, and cross-functional team leadership.
Since 2019, Sasa has led global sales efforts for Dassault’s CATIA brand, Enabling customers to maximize business value with CATIA and expanding the 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA market footprint. Sasa's expertise spans sales, program management, product lifecycle, digital transformation, and go-to-market strategy.
He is fluent in German, English, and Serbian, and has a strong background in sales leadership, innovation management, and process optimization. Throughout his career, Sasa has contributed to numerous international projects and developed a reputation for delivering sustainable business solutions.

Sebastien Gautier, SIMULIA Sales & Marketing VP at Dassault Systèmes, graduated 2002 from EPFL in Lausanne as Dipl. Ing Mechanical Engineering with specializations in numerical methods and turbomachines.
He started his career at MTU Aeroengines in Munich in 2001 in the department for unsteady aerodynamics and acoustic design of jet engines. In 2004 started the simulation department in the consulting branch of MTU covering all simulation domains. In 2008 moved to EXA Corporation as technical director for Central Europe and helped expand the Heavy Industry in Europe and Aerospace worldwide markets ending his EXA career as Managing Director for the Aerospace Industry. He moved into Dassault Systèmes end of 2017 and took the lead of the Experience Management team for Aerospace and Defense as Technical Sales Director. In 2019 he became Senior Sales Director for SIMULIA in EuroCentral before transitioning into his current role since 2023 as SIMULIA Sales & Marketing VP.

Julia Gerth has been part of Dassault Systèmes since 2019. As DELMIA Sales Manager in EuroCentral, she supports customers in the manufacturing and supply chain industry to efficiently plan, manage, optimize and execute their operations. Previously, she was a Client Executive in the BMW Global Account Team, focusing on Manufacturing, Digital Factory and Supply Chain. Before joining Dassault Systèmes, Julia Gerth worked for several years as an Account Manager at Bentley Systems, helping clients with the challenges of current infrastructure projects.

Mateusz Gliszczyński leads digital transformation projects within large industrial organizations in Western and Central Europe, covering DACH and CEE regions . Mateusz heads cross-brand team responsible for product lifecycle management and data science. He has more than 10 years of experience in Product Lifecycle Management and over 7 years at Dassault Systèmes. He previously gained experience at IMS Consutling Group, Philips Healthcare, McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group.

Mateusz earned his master’s degree from Warsaw University of Technology in Poland, is a graduate of the University of Ulsan in South Korea, is a certified PMP, and holds PhD in Innovation Management.

Rapolas Grazys is the visionary founder and creator of Lava Drops, a boutique brand from Lithuania that redefines musical instruments by blending nature with high-tech innovation. As both a professional industrial designer and guitarist, Rapolas creates electric guitars, basses, and violins that evoke deep emotions and inspire creativity, merging the beauty of the natural world with the precision of modern craftsmanship.
Lava Drops represents a harmonious symbiosis between nature and technology, bridging the past and the future. Each instrument is crafted from rare materials—50-million-year-old amber, meteorites, sustainably sourced wood, Aircraft Grade Aluminium, and precious stones—infused with the energy of the earth. These materials are selected not only for their aesthetic appeal but for their ability to channel nature’s vibrations into musical resonance. By combining these organic elements with high-tech processes, each Lava Drop becomes a functional art piece, delivering a profound emotional and sonic experience to musicians. Globally recognized musicians such as Mike Keneally, Jack White, Jordan Rudess, Sean McKee, and many more have embraced Lava Drops.
Rapolas’ creations have won the prestigious Global Red Dot Design Award twice, along with the Golden Pin Design Award, pushing the boundaries of musical instrument design by merging nature’s power with modern technology.

Thomas Grohs is currently Head of Future Capabilities at Airbus Defence and Space and thus largely responsible for the technical realisation of the overall FCAS architecture. 

Prior to this role, he held various other positions at Airbus, including Chief Engineer for the Eurofighter programme and Head of Flight Test in Manching.

He completed an engineering degree the field of aerospace technology. 

Stefan Gröner is one of Germany's leading strategy consultants, futurologists and speakers. He began his career in management positions at Germany's largest media companies. Today, he supports companies and managers in making strategic decisions about the future. A graduate in business administration and molecular medicine, he is Dean of Studies for Digital Management & Leadership at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. He specialises in artificial intelligence, future technologies and leadership in the digital transformation. Prof Gröner combines current research with practical experience and inspires people to play an active role in shaping the digital transformation.

Dr. Bassem Hassan, Transportation & Mobility Industry Director for EuroCentral at Dassault Systèmes since October 2021, looks back on an impressive 18-year career in the automotive industry. His career includes positions at several renowned automotive companies and research institutions, including CARIAD, AUDI, the Volkswagen Group, dSPACE, the Fraunhofer Institute and the University of Paderborn. With a PhD in engineering, Dr. Hassan has specialized in critical areas such as automotive transformation, systems engineering and autonomous driving since 2009.

Alexander as Dassault Systèmes Director EuroCentral, Head of Marketing and Communication, will be Co-Moderator for the 3DEXPERIENCE Conference.

In his impressive career, Alexander has driven customer-focused marketing strategies, digital transformation, account-based marketing, sales enablement, and brand development. Renowned for his leadership, he has led global teams to achieve remarkable results. His experience includes collaborations with industry leaders such as Deutsche Telekom, BMW, Audi, Microsoft, Huawei, Virgin, and the Omnicom Group.
He is a two-time German Brand Award winner for Marketing Innovation, Alexander is also a member of the German Press Association, showcasing his strategic expertise and dedication to excellence.

Dr. Herrmann leads FOXBYTE at csi Group, driving innovation in B2B software for Connected Digital Twins, Spatial Computing (XR), CAx automation, and business process digitalization, with a strong focus on AI and advanced data analysis. The csi Group is a leading user of Dassault software, including 3DEXPERIENCE, spearheading digital transformation across industries. Holding a doctorate in Structural Health Monitoring from TU Dresden, Dr. Herrmann also contributed to the integration of Microsoft 365 and Salesforce with a Customer360 approach. His work spans projects with global automotive OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and medical technology, earning him awards like the Altair Enlighten Award (2019, 2022) and the German Design Award (2021).

Bastien Hillen is in charge of Strategy and Alliances for Dassault Systèmes CATIA brand. He previously led Dassault Systèmes’ sustainability strategic engagements, business consulting for consumer industries and sales and services activities for the 3DVIA brand. Prior to Dassault Systèmes, Bastien has been creating and managing software startups for 10 years. Bastien started his career in corporate finance and transaction services working for Deloitte & Grant Thornton. Bastien is a French Certified Public Accountant and Legal Auditor and holds an exec MBA from HEC Paris.

Morten Huber is a Systems Engineer at Dassault Systèmes, specializing in technical sales for the Cyber Systems Portfolio, with a focus on Requirements and Risk Management, System Architecture, and Simulation. Certified as an INCOSE ASEP, Morten has led successful projects with key clients such as BMW and received several innovation awards. With a passion for solving complex problems and fostering collaboration, he is committed to driving strategic initiatives in systems engineering and product lifecycle management (PLM). Outside of engineering, he produces music as a freelancer and enjoys adventure activities like trekking and mountaineering, which fuel his creativity and personal growth.

Florian Hübler is Industry Process Consultant at Dassault Systèmes.

He has collected 8 years of professional experience in different fields of simulation, both in consulting and service. He holds s a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the university of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).

Jonas Ittel works as a CATIA Sales Director EuroCentral at Dassault Systèmes.

He holds a Master of Science degree from the Technical University Munich in Aerospace Engineering. After working in the aerospace industry for several years, he transitioned into software sales, specializing in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and later moved into BMW Account Management at Dassault Systèmes. Since January of this year, Jonas Ittel took on the leadership role as the CATIA Sales Director in EuroCentral at Dassault Systèmes.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Jacobs is the director of the Institute for Machine Elements and Systems Engineering (MSE) and Speaker of the Board of the Center for Wind Power Drives (CWD) at RWTH Aachen University.

Prof. Jacobs studied Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. After finalizing his doctor thesis he worked as chief engineer of IHP at RWTH Aachen University. 1996 he started his industry career at Müller Weingarten AG, soon moving to Mannesmann Rexroth AG and later to Bosch Rexroth AG. During that time he had different responsibilities in application engineering and product development finally as Member of the Board of the Business Division Hydraulics at Bosch Rexroth AG. 2008 he received the call to RWTH Aachen University as Director of the Institute for Machine Elements and Machine Design (IME). He merged IME with the Institute for Engineering Design (IKT) to connect MBSE research activities focused on system architecture, modelling and testing. Georg Jacobs created several Spin Off’s as f.e. the Center for Systems Engineering (CSE). He is editor of journals and conferences as well as member of scientific and industrial advisory councils.

Jakub Jasiński, CTO at PESA, is an engineer and manager with experience in overseeing large projects carried out by Polish and international teams in research and development, as well as in investment areas, in countries including Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Mexico. As a Technical Project Manager, he led teams of engineers and designers and was responsible for the integration of project documentation in collaboration with R&D departments.

Since January 2021, he has been the Director of the Contract Implementation Office at PESA. Previously, he oversaw project execution at Orlen, GE Power, Alstom Power, and Promus.

He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Mechanics and Machine Construction, from the State Higher Vocational School in Elbląg. He is also an alumnus of the MBA for the Energy Sector program at GFKM, as well as the Faculty of Management and Economics at the Gdańsk University of Technology, specializing in Project Management. He has honed his managerial and technical skills by participating in several international courses and training programs, including "Business Analysis in a Project Life Cycle" and "Commercial Awareness" in Paris.

Mayuresh Kankekar currently works as a senior expert at Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH. He is a systems engineer with extensive experience (10 years) in developing innovative medical devices that are compliant in the market. His current responsibilities include developing new medical devices, improving existing ones, maintaining QMS requirements & ensuring regulatory compliance. As he worked on variety of medical devices including infant care, neurorehabilitation & drug delivery systems, he has a good understanding of the complete product lifecycle of a medical device, the regulatory & quality landscape and most common challenges.

John Kitchingman is Senior Vice President Global Customer Engagement at Dassault Systèmes. 
John joined Dassault Systèmes in 2018 and led the successful transformation and sustainable growth of its Northern European operation as Managing Director. John has over 30 years’ experience of leading businesses, defining digital strategies and deploying major change programmes for clients enabled by world class technologies across many industries globally including Transport & Mobility, Aerospace & Defense, Oli & Gas, Industrial Equipment and High-Tech. In July 2024 John commenced a new role responsible for all Dassault Systèmes customer engagement models driving our global growth ambition and maximising our technology portfolio for our clients and partners.

As Global Head of Industrial Engineering, Florian Klett has led industrial engineering in seven automotive plants and leads a team of 45 specialists. He is an experienced engineer and manager with a wide-ranging career in industrial engineering. His expertise is the development and implementation of innovative production concepts, including matrix production, lean management, and virtual factories. With more than 18 years of professional experience, including 10 years in the automotive industry and six years of leadership experience at an international level, Florian has acquired extensive knowledge in medical technology, mechanical engineering and automotive.

Dr.-Ing. Kai Korthals is Vice President of Systems & Product Engineering at CLAAS. In that function, he and his team are responsible for the CLAAS Engineering System comprising Engineering Processes, Methods, Data Models and Applications for topics like CAD, PDM & Standards, Systems Engineering & Systems Lifecycle Management.

Georg Kraft, Senior Director 3DEXPERIENCE Consulting for Industrial Equipment, is an expert for the subject of Industrie 4.0 at Dassault Systèmes. With more than 35 years’ experience in the world of PLM, he has hold various national and international staff and management positions at IBM and since 2003 at Dassault Systèmes in services, marketing, R&D and sales, he has worked closely together with customers and Industry Analysts. In 2012 he joined the Industrial Equipment Industry team, which is responsible for defining Dassault Systèmes strategy and 3DEXPERIENCE solutions delivery for the Industrial Equipment industry worldwide and across all channels.

In the past years he was instrumental to support key IE customers and develop new industrial networks and partnerships.

Marco Krämer is Team Leader of Project Management for New Products at Hansgrohe.

He is a seasoned professional with a strong foundation in engineering and business management. He began his career with vocational training in Mechatronics, followed by a Diplom degree in Engineering Mechatronics and an MBA. He gained valuable experience at Audi AG in R&D for chassis development, then spent nine years as Project Manager for Complete Vehicle projects at Daimler AG. In September 2019, he joined Hansgrohe SE as Project Manager for Digital Products, and in January 2021, he was promoted to Team Leader of Project Management for New Products in the Business Unit hansgrohe. His career is characterized by a commitment to excellence and innovation in both engineering and leadership roles.

Gerhard Kramer is Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Manitoba in 1991 and 1992, respectively, and the Dr. sc. techn. degree from ETH Zurich in 1998. From 1998 to 2000, he was with Endora Tech AG in Basel, Switzerland; from 2000 to 2008 he was with the Math Center at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ; and from 2009-2010 he was with the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA. He joined TUM as Chair of Communications Engineering in 2010.

Gerhard is an IEEE Fellow and served as the 2013 IEEE Information Theory Society President. He has received several recognitions for his research and service, including an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship and the Aaron D. Wyner Distinguished Service Award. He is a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

Florian Krause works as the Product Structure & Visualisation teamlead at MAN Truck & Bus SE.

Florian Krause studied "Technology and Management-oriented Business Administration" (TUM-BWL) at the Technical University of Munich from 2005 to 2010.

In mid-2010, he joined MAN Truck and Bus SE (then MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG) in the central division Production & Logistics. He was active operationally and in the coordination of projects in the Order Processing and Program Planning environment.

In 2013, he moved to the planning staff of MAN's main production plant in Munich and was responsible for planning regarding the chassis frame construction and the associated pre-assembly center until 2017. During this period, he completed certification as a project manager in accordance with the IPMA standard.

By the end of 2018, his responsibilities as a member of the plant structure planning team had expanded to include cab assembly as well as logistics scopes and the management of sub-projects in the comprehensive restructuring project at the Munich plant with regard to the new generation of trucks to be introduced from 2020.

From his role at the Munich plant, Florian Krause moved to the central project organization of the product project for the new truck generation, which he strengthened as deputy sub-project manager "Production & Logistics" until mid-2021.

He then took over as team lead for a team in the Truck Pre-Series Center, which is responsible for issues relating to "product structure and visualization". In the course of this work, he acquired in-depth knowledge of PLM and VR/AR systems as well as the architecture of generic product structures and their rules and regulations. He is leading the project for the network-wide use of a new type of augmented reality-supported worker guidance system based on combined data from PLM and MES systems.

Jan Kuhlmann is Head of Department at BMW Group IT and, in his current position, is responsible for the overall system landscape for the two corporate divisions of Vehicle Development / Production Planning and Corporate Quality. 

Mr. Kuhlmann has been in various leadership positions within Group IT for over 20 years, gaining deep technical and process knowledge. He is always striving to improve business performance and customer experience through digitalization.

Thomas Kupferer operates as the Managing Director at Lifecycle Experts GmbH. With a passion for leveraging technology to drive organizational efficiency and success, Thomas brings years of experience in digital transformation. He has established himself as a trusted advisor to companies across various industries, particularly in manufacturing. Throughout his consulting career, Thomas has collaborated with numerous organizations, aiding them in streamlining processes, optimizing workflows, and initiating digitalization projects. His expertise in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), making him instrumental in guiding organizations through complex digital transformation journeys.

Robert W. Landertinger Forero is Digital Product Owner Tech Transfer at Sanofi.

He has a degree in biotech engineering. Robert is currently working in the wider team of Pierre-Damien Martinet as a Digital Product Owner for Tech Transfer.
Robert has leads a team of quality experts for visual inspection of drug products, insulins, and primary care medicines and quality project managers at Sanofi. In his previous role, he supported the design and implementation of process control strategy for legacy insulin drug substances.
Before joining Sanofi, he was at Sartorius Biotech, working in a team focused on bridging the gap between customized Single-Use Designs and Configurable Designs, in oder to provide to pharmaceutical manufactures the End 2 End Pharmaceutical Manufacturing process from one single supplier.

Robert was a founder of the Young Professionals community in Europe at the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering in 2014. He has been an ISPE member since 2013.

Udo Lange works as the Vice President & Global Head of Digital Engineering and R&D Transformation at Capgemini Invent. With 5 years industry- and more than 25 years consulting experience, Udo is advising clients in discrete manufacturing industries in designing and implementing successful strategies for R&D transformation. His clients include global market leaders in automotive, aerospace & defense, transportation, manufacturing and energy & utilities. His area of expertise includes digital transformation, product and application lifecycle management, systems engineering and process optimization. Together with his team of more than 300 global consultants he is designing and implementing performance improvement solutions around Digital Continuity, Software-driven Transformation and R&D operating model while addressing recent trends like GenAI and Sustainability.

Udo lives in Bremen, is a father of one son and enjoys during his free time endurance sports like street cycling and running.

Lucas Lindner is the Business Lead of the Student Association HORYZN. He joined the Association in 2022 during the initial developments of the newest Life-Saving-Drone KOLIBRI.
Lucas leads the team responsible for Financial Planning & Management, Accounting, Authorization & Legal Management, PR & Marketing, HR and Sponsorship Cooperations.
He grew up in Rio de Janeiro and is currently finishing his Bachelor´s degree in Aerospace Engineering at the Technical University of Munich.

Carsten Lindstedt is the Head of Brand Experience 3DEXCITE at Dassault Systèmes. 

With over two decades in the digital space, Carsten specializes in crafting compelling, engaging, and human-centered experiences. He helps clients create meaningful and useful solutions that benefit users and society.

An innovation-driven leader, Carsten began his journey in AI technology at Bosch, building a strong foundation. He now drives generative AI explorations and research, leading the 3DEXCITE AI Working Group—a cross-department initiative focused on defining and progressing long-term AI goals. As a subject matter expert and advocate, Carsten leverages generative storytelling with AI to accelerate product commercialization, fostering lasting brand loyalty and driving growth.
Previously, Carsten spent five years at Bosch eBike Systems as BX Director, where he led the creation of a data-driven communication foundation integral to the Bosch Smart System digital experience. Earlier in his career, he co-founded the Red Dot Award-winning connected biking startup COBI, which was acquired by Bosch, and served as Creative Director at Neue Digitale / Razorfish, delivering projects for top brands such as Audi, Porsche, and Porsche Design. Committed to leveraging emerging technologies, Carsten strives to develop innovative solutions that enhance user satisfaction and benefit society.

Pierre-Damien Martinet is Head of Digital MSAT & Global Engineering at Sanofi.

Graduated in 2000 in telecommunications and networks, Pierre Damien began his career as an IT consultant for major accounts in the Energy and Retail sectors.
He joined Sanofi Pasteur in 2005 as Technical Coordinator for SAP, MES, Automation and management projects (Datawarehouse for Sanofi Pasteur industrial sites).

In 2016, he joined the Manufacturing Technology department with the aim of improving the industrial performance of vaccination processes, using all the data available as well as new Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques. Based in Toronto, Canada, he has coordinated a team of 35 people spread over 4 major sites, in France and North America.

In 2019, back in France, he joined the EVF program with various roles: designing the Digital roadmap and later aligning the 2 sites in Europe and Singapore to delivering the new agile and flexible operational model for Sanofi Industrial sites.

Early 2024, Pierre Damien came back to Digital department as Head of MSAT and Global Engineering, with an important focus to define the digital strategy of all Sanofi new products launches.

Fabian Matthiessen leads the Digital department within Capgemini Engineering bringing together IT and Engineering in 4 major disciplines: Digital Continuity with PLM and digital twins, Smart Factory with SCADA and MES, Data&AI and Connectivity both for Products and Production Systems.

He joined Capgemini with a degree of Business Informatics in 2006 and held various roles in the company since then. His passion and goal is transforming clients towards Intelligent Industries helping them leverage the full potential of digitalization for their product development and production processes.

Dr. Fabian Mehring has been Bavaria’s State Minister for Digital Affairs since November 2023. As the head of Germany's first digital ministry, Mehring oversees the expansion of digital services for citizens and businesses. The minister also represents Bavaria in its dealings with the federal government, for instance, in the IT planning council. Mehring advocates a digital policy that promotes equal opportunities for both rural areas and cities, with a special focus on turning Bavaria into Europe’s leading AI hub.

Anne Meier is part to the HAMLET project since April 2023, founded in 2022 at Trier University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the Barmherzige Brüder Hospital Trier. She decided to study sports and rehabilitation technology in Trier out of the desire to gain insights into multiple specialist areas at the same time and combine skills in medicine and mechanical engineering. She joined the HAMLET project during her fourth semester and will complete her Bachelor's degree with her thesis next year.

Stefan Mertz is a senior industry process expert within DASSAULT SYSTEMES’ CATIA brand. With almost 15 years of experience in conceptual product development he is worldwide responsible for CATIA Concept industry processes.
After graduation at Technical University of Berlin with diploma in automotive engineering in 2010 he started as a project engineer at SFE GmbH in Berlin supporting and leading service projects in Europe, North America and Asia. Within 4 years at SFE GmbH he gained experience in project management, technical support, quality assurance, process automation and concept development processes mainly in the automotive industry. In 2015 he joined DASSAULT SYSTEMES as a solution consultant responsible for technical sales of CATIA | SFE products and is nowadays helping to enrich customer processes in concept engineering embracing MODSIM (MODeling & SIMulation) solutions.
Stefan enjoys traveling in his campervan with his wife and two kids, is brewing his own beer and plays basketball, snooker and football.

Maximilian Mühling is an Industry Process Consultant at Dassault Systemes with experience in PLM, ERP, and MES systems across various manufacturing industries, primarily automotive and industrial equipment.
With a strong focus on optimizing system integration, Max is passionate about leveraging technology to drive efficiency.
Today, he will be sharing valuable insights on the evolving relationship between these systems and the future of connected manufacturing.

Dr. Bjoern Nagel is Director of the Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). His research is addressing advanced digital methods such as MBSE, MDO, AI and VR for modeling aeronautics as a system-of-systems aiming at accelerating the innovation cycle, optimizing the impact of novel technologies and finding novel holistic solutions. The collaboration in large teams of experts is characteristic to his research enabling him to capture the system of interest in the required width and depth.

In 2003 he started his career as research associate at the DLR Institute of Lightweight Systems investigating the multidisciplinary optimization fiber composite wings. He became Head of the Department Integrated Aircraft Design at the DLR Institute of Air Transport in 2007 before he became Founding Director of the DLR Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics in 2017. In 2018 he received the Award for Technical Innovations from the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (IACS) in 2018. Dr. Nagel was visiting scientist at the Airbus Future Projects Office Madrid and the Saab Aircraft Concepts Department Linkoeping.

He received his diploma in Aeronautical Engineering from Technische Universitaet Braunschweig and his doctoral degree in Digital Engineering from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

Frederic Noel is Virtual Twin Experience director at Dassault Systèmes. He is managing the business development of the Virtual Twin as a Service offers. Virtual Twin as a Service is a digital service enabling business decisions based on insights from experiences running on customer bespoke Virtual Twins maintained fit for use. Customers get access to a “Shortcut to Value” that accelerate and expand their business value.

Lena Pitz is part of the HAMLET Team since April 2023.
The project was founded in 2022 at Trier University of Applied Sciences in a cooperation with the Barmherzige Brüder Hospital Trier. Lena discovered her passion for science and medicine at a young age and decided to start her working career with a bachelor's degree in sports and rehabilitation technology. 

She is currently working on her bachelor's thesis, which is also dedicated to the HAMLET project. Since the beginning of 2024 she is a student assistant in the lab "Digital Product Development and Manufacturing" (LDPF) in the Department of Engineeering at Trier University of Applied science.

In 2020, Didier was nominated Head of Eurodrone Programme at Airbus Defence and Space GmbH managing the contract signature, the set‐up and the launch of the programme.
Eurodrone programme is a strategic European collaboration programme gathering four nations (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) under the lead of Airbus with major subcontractors Dassault Systèmes, Leonardo and ADS SAU. The programme is based on 60 drones and 40 ground stations from protypes design up to the full industrialisation and deliveries,
including 5 years in‐service support. Recently, the Preliminary Design Review has been achieved and now the Eurodrone team ‐ under Didier’s lead ‐ is preparing the Critical Design review planned in 2025.

In March 2017, he joined Airbus Defence and Space as Head of MRTT and Airbus Derivatives Programmes where he was responsible for the development and delivery of the A/C and subsequent product enhancements for all the MRTT customers: the Air Forces from Australia, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Korea and the European Multinational MRTT Fleet.

From 2006 to 2017, back to the civil airliners, he was dedicated to the A350 Programme in increasingly senior management positions. During that period he was awarded Programme management Platinum certified and then recognised in 2016 as one of the Airbus Programme Platinum ambassadors.

He joined Airbus in 1996 as Systems Manager supporting the Chief Engineering Office and Sales department for all the Airbus Family. In 2001, he moved to the military world as Head of Indicating Systems for A400M developing and certifying critical cockpit systems.

He has a degree in Microelectronics and Automatics from the Montpellier Engineering Sciences Institute and started his career with Thales Avionics in 1990.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Prefi is a Managing Director of Accenture GmbH.

From 1984 to 1990, he studied mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University, where he gained his doctorate at IPT in 1995 and habilitated at WZL in 2002. Since 1996, he has been the founder and managing director of P3 group AG and other P3 Group companies. Since 2008, he has been an adjunct professor at the WZL - Chair of Production Metrology and Quality Management at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Since the renaming of P3 group AG to Umlaut SE in 2019, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board. Since 2021 Umlaut is part of Accenture and Thomas Prefi is a Managing Director of Accenture GmbH.

Alex Raicu is the Project Lead of HORYZN, guiding the team's work on developing a passenger aircraft for medical rescue. Having been at HORYZN for over 3 years, Alex is passionate about solving critical challenges through technical innovation, which is why he is setting the team's course towards the GoAERO Prize, a NASA-backed competition in the US. The team is developing an aircraft to rapidly deliver paramedics to emergency sites, pushing the boundaries of unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Alex is starting his M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where his passion for UAVs continues to thrive, blending academic knowledge with hands-on leadership in cutting-edge projects.

Tim Rau is Industry Process Consult Director, 3DEXCITE at Dassault Systèmes.

He is an experienced leader with over 20 years in high-end 3D visualization. He has crafted top-tier sales and marketing experiences that enhance clients' brand advantages through cutting-edge technology. Tim leads the global Tech Sales Team for marketing transformation solutions at Dassault Systèmes 3DEXCITE.

As Senior Manager for Smart Factory at UNITY Innovation & Consulting, Daniel advises clients across various industries on strategic design and implementation of software solutions. As an industrial engineer, he initially gained first experiences in manufacturing, before transitioning to software consulting at Dassault Systems Delmia for 2.5 years, followed by another 2.5 years at a digital twin start-up. 

At UNITY, he leads projects within the automotive, mechanical engineering and electronics sectors. His focus ranges from strategy definition, software architecture, governance to the selection, conceptualization and implementation of digital solutions.

Thorsten Rettich is Member of the Board of the LINCON AG, a new generation Reseller of Dassault Systèmes and a specialist in digital transformation. He has over 20 years of experience in Management, Process Organization, Digitalization and engineering through several branches as machine building, automation, factory planning and automotive. He worked as CEO/CTO, R&D Manager, Developer and Project Manager.

Carlos works as an entrepreneur founding Carlos 3D. Originally from Mexico, he has been living in France since 2017.
Carlos has an Engineering degree in Electromechanics and a Master in Productivity.
After a few important events in his life, he realized that life is too short to leave dreams and passions for later.
That's why thanks to his background in electronics and 3D design he decided to launch himself as a content creator and create those wonderful projects that he dreamed of as a child.
Today, he is back to the real reason he studied engineering. “To create exceptional things and help people create their own”.

Olivier Ribet joined Dassault Systèmes in September 2013 as Vice President, High-Tech Industry. Since July 2017 he was in charge of all the industries as well as of developing the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) market and cross-industry corporate initiatives.

Olivier Ribet brings over 20 years of international experience in the software, high-tech and telecom markets to Dassault Systèmes. During his career, he has led businesses and teams across Europe, North America and Asia in strategy, software engineering, marketing and business development.

Olivier Ribet spent over a decade at Microsoft, where he held senior management positions. Before this, he worked in a number of senior-level sales, marketing and business development capacities.

Olivier Ribet is a graduate of the Institute des Etudes Politiques in Bordeaux, France, and INSEAD/AIEP in Singapore.

Ulrich Rungaldier is the Head of Connected Engineering at the BMW Group and is currently responsible for a cross-departmental initiative with a strong focus on digital and virtual product development.Mr. Rungaldier has held various leadership positions within BMW's development division for over 18 years, where he has acquired extensive technical and process knowledge in vehicle development. He is committed to actively shaping the transition to virtual, data-driven product development.

Dr. Navid Samadi is is the Chief Engineer for Vehicle Dynamics Technologies at Huawei Technologies in Munich since 2023. 

Mr. Samadi is an expert in automotive engineering, with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering obtained in 2009. He began his career at Mercedes-Benz, where he spent nearly a decade (2009-2018) focusing on chassis and steering development.

In 2018, he joined KYB Europe as the Deputy General Manager of the Tech Center in Munich, specializing in suspension systems and steer-by-wire technologies.

From 2020 to 2023, he served as Vice President of R&D for Mechatronics Chassis Systems at Schaeffler Technologies.

Dieter Sauer is Senior Sales Director and Member of the Executive Committee of Dassault Systèmes in Central Europe. Together with his Team the focus is on development of the 3DS Partner Ecosystem and helping our clients in the Geo to transform their business towards a virtual twin centered product lifecycle management across the whole enterprise.

Michel Schäfer is CATIA Engineering Industry Process Consult Manager at Dassault Systèmes.

After graduating2004 as Master of Engineering in Computational Engineering he joined SFE GmbH, Berlin to work in various roles for the in-house software SFE CONCEPT: Project Manager, Technical Sales, Portfolio Management, QA, Support, Development.
2014 he joined Dassault Systèmes CATIA Brand to pave transition of acquired SFE technology to 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Now he leads a team of experts in Concept Structure Engineer Role to consult worldwide customers in this topic.

Sabine Scheunert joined Dassault Systèmes in 2024 as the Managing Director for the ECAL region, encompassing Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. She oversees all business activities within these countries, focusing on three core areas: Manufacturing Industries, Infrastructure & Cities, and Healthcare & Life Sciences.

Before joining Dassault Systèmes, Sabine held significant leadership positions at several renowned companies. As a former top manager at Mercedes-Benz, she played a crucial role in the automobile and technology sectors. She also serves as a supervisor at Messer SE and Planet First Partners. Her career includes notable tenures at Hewlett-Packard, BMW, and a pioneering role as the first female CEO in China’s automotive industry. Sabine is deeply committed to promoting female leadership in the IT sector. As the co-founder of the Female CIO Circle, she actively supports and empowers women in technology. Her innovative contributions, such as implementing the direct sales model at Mercedes-Benz, and her involvement in supervisory boards, demonstrate her dedication to sustainable practices and pushing the boundaries of the digital revolution.

With a passion for creating transformative impact and fostering a sustainable future, Sabine Scheunert is thrilled to lead Dassault Systèmes in driving innovation and growth in the ECAL region.

Mathias Schmid is SIMULIA Senior Sales Manager within Central Europe at Dassault Systèmes and joined the company in April 2020.
He is passioned to consult customers within their transformation to develop sustainable and innovative solutions by using the power of virtual validation connected with modelling and systems engineering.
Mathias brings over 10 years of international expertise within the automotive and manufacturing industry to Dassault Systèmes. During his career he was successfully responsible for Business Development and Sales at Industrial Equipment companies taking care of global customers from the Automotive, Aerospace & Defence and Industrial Equipment industries.

Daniel Schöpf is the CEO of automation.eXpress GmbH. With 20 years of experience in designing and manufacturing special machines, Daniel developed extensive expertise in pre-engineering and design, robot programming and simulation, as well as finance and project controlling. His career began with hands-on technical work, which provided a strong foundation for my subsequent leadership roles.

For 13 years, Daniel served as the Chief Operating Officer at a global special machine builder in the automotive industry. He played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth from a small team of 5 employees to a workforce of 500 spread across five plants worldwide. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a start-up into a global market leader in the automotive interior business.

In the past three years, Daniel has taken on the role of Co-founder and CEO of automation.eXpress, where he leads a dynamic team of 55 employees with expertise in design, software, assembly, and commissioning. Over this period, they have achieved significant milestones, including the establishment of a second location in Greer, South Carolina, USA, and reaching a turnover of €10 million this year. Additionally, they have recently moved into their own 3,500m² shop floor facility, positioning themselves for further growth and success in the automation industry.

Peter Schneck, CEO of CENIT AG. Peter Schneck graduated in law from the University of Bonn in 1997 and obtained an MBA degree from the University of Reading, UK in 2012.

During his career, Peter Schneck gained broad management experience, often at the helm of large, internationally active corporations. He acted as Managing Director of Scheidt & Bachmann, a leading global provider of IT solutions for parking management, and later as Managing Director of APCOA. Following his move to Trapeze Group, a leading software provider for transport engineering, Peter Schneck headed the company as CEO from 2014 to 2019. In 2019, he joined the Management Board of DATAGROUP SE, where prior to his move to CENIT he was responsible for mergers & acquisitions, investor relations and legal affairs.

Prof. Dr. Günther Schuh operates as the CEO of the e.Volution GmbH. 

As a scientist and entrepreneur, Prof. Dr. Günther Schuh is concerned with disruptive innovations, information and production management as well as sustainable mobility solutions. He supports the approach that complex interrelationships and systemic innovations require scientific and entrepreneurial collaboration.
For more than 30 years, he has been working on issues of innovation and technology management, industrial production and complexity management in industrial systems. With researchers and developers in the industry, he has repeatedly proven to develop cost-effective industrially manufactured products, especially electric vehicles. In order to implement new mobility concepts into practice, he is still the founder of various companies that develop and produce mobility solutions.

Ulrich Schulmeister is the Vice President of Technology and Engineering at Robert Bosch GmbH, where he leads the Systems Engineering, Simulation, Virtualization, and Vehicle Safety department of the Mobility Company. With over 25 years of experience in automotive software, function development, system development, and XiL (including series production, pre-development, and corporate research), he plays a key role in advancing Robert Bosch’s mobility technologies. As a member of the Bosch Mobility Steering Committee for Technology and Engineering, Ulrich oversees various critical areas, including vehicle safety, simulation, reliable distributed systems, the Rolling Chassis Program, and feature-based system development. He is also responsible for engineering methods, standards, and virtualization efforts for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV).

Erich Schwinge is Project Manager for Traceability at BMW Group. For ensuring state-of-the-art processes and IT-solutions within the BMW Group he comes back to a broad experience notably gained from prior responsibilities in organizational design, management of plant logistics and steering of final assembly as well as quality management purchased parts at the BMW Group.

Florian Schüssler is Head of Product Development at AIRSKIN since the beginning of this year.

He is a leading expert in virtual product development, with over 10 years of experience in the field and has also written a dissertation on the subject. He has successfully led more than 160 CAE projects, primarily in the aerospace and automotive industries. Since January, he has been driving innovation at AIRSKIN as the head of product development, where his relentless pursuit of efficiency and process optimization is transforming the company. Florian is known for his visionary approach and dedication to pushing the boundaries of technological excellence.

Robertas Semeniukas is a composer, producer, arranger, professional guitarist and singer. In the past and now he actively cooperates with many famous Lithuanian and foreign musicians, composers and producers. He often participates in television on various musical projects, performs in major arenas in the country, works as a session musician in recording studios, produces and records other performers and develops his solo career.
Robertas has performed at various prestigious music festivals and concert halls in the USA, China, Canada, Austria, Norway, Great Britain, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Poland and other European countries. The artist is involved in educational activities. He shares his experiences with young creators in his master classes not only in Lithuania but also abroad. 

Currently, the artist is actively cooperating with Lithuanian pop star Marijonas Mikutavičius, as well as Veronika Povilionienė, the most famous Lithuanian folk singer. In 2001 he created a band called ŽALVARINIS, the best known Lithuanian folkrock band.

Stéphane Sireau, Vice President, High-Tech Industry at Dassault Systèmes is helping companies on their digital transformation journey, leveraging virtual twin experiences enabled by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Stéphane Sireau has over 20 years’ experience working in the high-tech space. Based in Silicon Valley, he led the launch in 2016 of GE Digital’s alliance program in Europe to create new cloud-based industrial IOT solutions. In 2012 he co-founded Orange Mobile Enterprise, Orange’s business unit dedicated to mobility and IOT solutions.
In 2009 Stéphane set up Orange Institute, a global think-tank dedicated to digital innovation. Prior to that, he worked 4 years in China where he pioneered Orange’s supply chain management in Asia, including its first program of sustainability audits.
In his latest role, Stéphane worked at DNV, one of the world’s leading assurance companies, where he led global sales of digital assurance, sustainability and supply chain solutions.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) and is a graduate of ICADE-ICAI (Spain). He received an Executive MBA with distinction from INSEAD and Tsinghua University (China) in 2009.

Dirk Slama is a Vice President at Robert Bosch GmbH. As chairman of the digital.auto initiative, he helps driving the digitalization of the automotive industry. His expertise in this area includes Software-defined Vehicles (SDV)
and AI, Service-oriented Vehicle Architectures based on SDV and E/E, SDV and DevOps, as well as continuous homologation. Working on the forefront of SDV innovation, Dirk is closely collaborating with key standards and Open Source communities, including COVESA and Eclipse SDV.

As conference chair of the Bosch ConnectedWorld, Dirk helps shaping the digital ecosystem of the Bosch group. He is director of the AIoT Lab at the Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institute, where he also holds a full professorship. As
former chairman (StC) of the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), he helped to create the leading ecosystem for the Industrial Internet.

Dirk has 25 years experience in very large-scale IT projects, distributed systems and AIoT. His international work experience includes projects for Audi, Daimler, Lufthansa Systems, Boeing, AT&T, NTT DoCoMo, IF.com and others.
Dirk is a frequent speaker at conferences, as well as co-author of five successful books, including “The Software-defined Vehicle (O`Reilly)”. He holds an MBA from IMD Lausanne as well as a PhD in Information Systems and a Diploma (MSc equivalent) in Computer Science from TU Berlin.

Andreas Spenninger is Head of Industrialization & Safety Manager at Agile Robots SE with 10+ years in robotics and industrial automation. As Industrialization Manager, he leads cross-functional teams in System Engineering, Functional Safety, Mechatronics, and more, ensuring seamless cooperation with Supply Chain, Integration, and Manufacturing. As Safety Manager, he oversees safety development. His certifications, including Functional Safety Professional (TÜV SÜD), Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Systems Engineering Professional (INCOSE), provide a broad overview across multiple engineering domains. As Systems Architect and Product Manager, he refines robotic system architectures, drives product development, and prioritizes features aligned with customer needs. Additionally, he serves as Tech Lead for innovative robotic solutions and controls algorithms. Andreas is dedicated to advancing state-of-the-art robotics with a focus on quality, reliability, and user-friendly design.

Andreas Spieler is a EuroCentral SOLIDWORKS Expert at Dassault Systèmes.

He started in the CAD industry in 1989 and has been working at Dassault Systèmes since 2001 in the Pre-Sales area of SOLIDWORKS. Training as a mechanic, graduating as a technician, a master craftsman's certificate in mechanics, and a degree in Mechanical Engineering are the foundations for understanding customer requirements and providing corresponding support with solutions from the entire portfolio.

Jessica Springfeld is a trained editor who started her career working for the TV news channel n-tv for several years. She then moved to the Handelsblatt editorial team, where she was able to deepen her passion for economic topics. Currently, Jessica leads the video and podcast editorial team at solutions by Handelsblatt Media Group, where she and her team give exciting content a modern presentation. She regularly demonstrates her moderation skills in various formats and events.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Stark serves as the Director of the Chair Industrial Information Technology at Berlin Institute of Technology.

He studied mechanical engineering at Ruhr University Bochum and Texas A&M University. His PhD thesis is entitled “Development of a mathematical model on tolerance for the integration in (3D-) CAD systems”. 

From 1994 to 1997 he worked as a System Engineer in the Body Engineering department at Ford-Werke AG Cologne. In the following he focused on methods in virtual product creation and was promoted in 1997 to Technical Specialist for CAD, product modeling and product information management. Between 2002 and 2008 he was leading as European Technical Manager regional and global activities in Methods for Virtual Product Creation within Ford Motor Company. During this time, he also gave numerous guest lectures and presentations at the University of Bochum, the Saarland University Saarbrücken and at the University of Applied Science of Aix-la-Chapelle. 

Since February 2008 Prof. Rainer Stark is professor for Industrial Information Technology at the Technical University of Berlin. In addition, he was Director of the Virtual Product Creation division of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK) from 2008 until 2021 and he was the Managing Director of the Department for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) of the Technical University of Berlin from 2011 until 2013. 

He is an active researcher and expert in Virtual Product Creation (process, methods and IT-solutions for CAx, PDM/PLM, DMU, AR/VR, Digital Factory, AI und MBSE), Digital Twins as well as Data Engineering & Analytics. 

Prof. Stark is member of the German Academy of Technical Sciences (acatech), the scientific societies WiGeP (Scientific Society for Product Development), Design Society and CIRP (International Academy for Production Engineering) and board member of the ProSTEP iViP association. He is also an active member of the VDI (Society of German Engineers) board Product Development and Product Management and of the acatech research board Industrie 4.0.

Tim Steinebach works as a Senior Manager Supply Chain Optimization and Strategy at Lufthansa Cargo AG.

He studied industrial engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt. He then received his PhD in optimization in intralogistic processes and subsequently worked as a head of research group. 

Since the beginning of 2023, he has been employed at Lufthansa Cargo as a Senior Manager for Supply Chain Optimization, where he develops innovative planning and control systems for air freight streams.

Timmo Sturm is a Managing Director at Accenture IX and leads the engineering practice in the DACH region with over 2000 colleagues. He focuses on enhancing his clients' competitiveness through efficient R&D, enabling the clients' product strategy by leveraging leading edge technologies like PLM, ALM & Gen AI. Through our highly specialized engineering experts we support our clients in mission critical engineering assignments. Timmo advises clients across Europe in the automotive, engineering and consumer products domains.

Matthias Szeszat joined Dassault Systèmes in 2010 and became Head of Business Development in 2016. Since 2018 he has been shaping the future of the brand, now leading the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXCITE strategy to define and evangelize the brand’s course into the experience economy. Prior to his role at Dassault Systèmes 3DEXCITE, Matthias ran his own marketing agency. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

Andreas Wank is Head of department “Smart Innovation” at Pepperl+Fuchs SE since January 2022. In addition, he also leads the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) program. When he joined Pepperl+Fuchs SE in 2019, he managed the project International Quality Management, which deals with traceability and incident management.

Before that, he was a Research Associate at the Technical University Darmstadt for five years (2014-2019). During this time he also acted as Managing Director „Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Darmstadt“ (07/17 until 01/19), Team Leader for the Management of Industrial Production (04/16 until 01/19) as well as Assistance to the president of the German Academic Association for Production Technology (01/15 until 12/17).
The foundation for his professional success also lies in his scientific background. Andreas Wank holds both, a Bachelor (B.Sc.) and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) from the Technical University Darmstadt with a specialization in mechanical engineering. On top of that, he successfully completed his PHD (DR.-ING) from 2014 until 2019.
Today, Andreas plays a crucial role in implementing the ongoing PLM project at Pepperl+Fuchs SE, which is essential for facilitating seamless information flow throughout the entire innovation chain, impacting approximately 2,500 users.

Günter Wenzel has been a research associate at Fraunhofer IAO in Stuttgart since 2001 and leads the "eXtended Environments" team. Since completing his architecture studies in Stuttgart, he has focused on information and communication technologies in the lifecycle of our built environment. He is currently working on topics such as "Virtual Techniques in Citizen Participation," "Connecting Immersive Communication Techniques to BIM, GIS, and FM Systems," and studies for the construction and real estate industry on the "Sustainable Transformation of Building." He is a co-founder of the BIM Cluster Baden-Württemberg e.V. and was a member of the board for 7 years.

Currently working as a Structural Engineer at ASTRA e.V. Bremen, Shreya is pursuing her Master´s in Space Engineering at Universität Bremen and also completed her Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from India.
She joined ASTRA e.V. in November 2023, because of her passion for aerospace and sustainable space exploration.
By harnessing the power of advanced tools by Dassault Systèmes, she has been able to streamline the design process and conduct complex simulations of their project Phoenix.
Beyond the technical work, Shreya is passionate about fostering a collaborative environment where creativity and curiosity thrive. She believes that hands-on experience in real-world aerospace projects is invaluable, not only for personal growth but also for preparing the next generation of engineers to lead the future of space innovation.

Chris is currently leading the SIMULIA Global R&D organization at Dassault Systèmes, which includes the responsibility for R&D activities related to strategy, product management and product development across all physics simulation domains.

Chris has over 20 years of simulation-related experience in computational fluids and computational solid mechanics and has held a wide range of technical and leadership positions in Product Development, Strategy and Product Management since joining Dassault Systèmes in the early 2000s (HKS, Inc. at the time). After several years as a development engineer focusing on core solvers, Chris expanded his activities to include structural modeling and led the development of our portfolio of Abaqus-based solutions on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. Since 2016, Chris was leading the overall Structures Simulation SIMULIA R&D organization responsible for development of structural simulation solutions and technology.

He has Masters of Science and Doctoral degrees in Applied Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering.

Jürgen Wurdinger is EuroCentral Volume Business Industry Process Consultant Specialist at Dassault Systèmes.

SOLIDWORKS has accompanied Jürgen Wurdinger's professional career for 19 years. Beginning with his further education in mechanical engineering in 2005, he joined the CAD industry as an application engineer in 2007. His responsibilities ranged from SOLIDWORKS basic training to technical support, PDM Professional projects and presales for all SOLIDWORKS products.

From 2016 to 2021, Jürgen changed and worked during this time as a SOLIDWORKS user, designing automation and robotics solutions. He then worked as an ERP consultant, responsible for interfaces to CAD systems. Since March 2022 he is employed at Dassault Systèmes, where he is responsible for all topics around SOLIDWORKS as well as the browser-based design roles of SOLIDWORKS.

Guillaume Vendroux, CEO DELMIA at Dassault Systèmes, graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Ph. D. in Aeronautics (93), Guillaume started his career in Engineering and R&D in the Transport sector, from aerospace as R&D engineer in Composite material at Aerospatiale (94-98), to Advanced Project Director at Valeo Electrical System (98-06) to various position in Engineering and R&D at Alstom Transport.
In 2010, still in Alstom Transport, Guillaume entered the Manufacturing world as VP industrial.
In 2016, Guillaume joined Dassault Systèmes to lead the DELMIA Brand, Dassault Systèmes industrial solutions portfolio to continue supporting all industries in the digital revolution to come.

Vice President, Aerospace & Defense, David Ziegler leads the Dassault Systèmes Worldwide Aerospace & Defense Business through the development of its Industry leading Solution Experiences, based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Prior to Dassault Systèmes, David held multiple positions in the Aerospace industry, including 12 years at Airbus both in France and the U.S., holding positions in Strategy, Sales and Business development, and most recently at Aéroports de Paris. A French citizen, David’s career in aerospace began when he obtained his Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Supaero, followed by an MBA from INSEAD. Passionate about everything that flies, he also enjoys kite-surfing and spending time with his wife and two children, when he is not on a plane.

Morgan Zimmermann, CEO Netvibes at Dassault Systèmes, joined EXALEAD in 2006 as Director of Strategy, Sales & Business Development. He took part in the international development of the brand in Asia, Europe, and the United States and was appointed CEO in 2015. Originally, EXALEAD supported major accounts on the use of web technologies as a vehicle for transforming transactional information systems. Since the acquisition of EXALEAD by Dassault Systèmes in 2010, Morgan ZIMMERMANN has rebuilt EXALEAD's product portfolio to accelerate value creation across the 12 industries served by Dassault Systèmes to:

• Transform knowledge of engineering and purchasing into performance and cost reduction levers
• Transform the implicit know-how (working methods, processes) of engineering and manufacturing into levers of operational excellence
• Exploit the data generated by consumers/end-users to support the client's digital transformation

In 2018, Morgan Zimmermann was named CEO of NETVIBES EXALEAD in order to leverage the NETVIBES ability to provide in-context insight from the market and industry into all enterprise business processes. Prior to joining EXALEAD, Morgan Zimmermann led the business development of Cril Telecom Software, a software publisher in global mobile networks.

Benjamin Zoch is a Team Leader CAD-Administration Department at Hansgrohe SE. 

He showed an interest in science and technology at an early age. After completing secondary school in 2004, Benjamin began training as an industrial mechanic. After completing his training in 2008, he worked as a CNC programmer.
In 2012, he started a dual course of study to become a mechanical engineer at Hansgrohe SE.
He has been working in CAD administration since 2015 and has been team leader of the CAD-Administration department at Hansgrohe SE since 2021.

Andreas Zurwehme is CEO at eROCKIT AG.

Andy became first time entrepreneur in the age of 21, setting up a machinery company in extrusion manufacturing. Then he spent several years in sales within automotive, engineering and manufacturing, before he left for Palo Alto. He became Country Manager and International Marketing Manager at Dialog Information Services with its president Roger K. Summit. Back in Germany 1999 he founded AtVision (Europe’s largest webTV company). He worked as interims manager and consultant in Switzerland, USA, Thailand, China, UK and Germany and has been active in the eMobility industry since 2009.