Next generation technologies power the engineering software ecosystem at COFES 2019 in Silicon Valley

Next generation technologies power the engineering software ecosystem at COFES 2019 in Silicon Valley

We all know that phones, vehicles, factories, homes, roads — indeed entire cities — are getting smarter, more complex, and increasingly connected. What you may not know is that behind these innovations are networks of engineers who rely upon an equally intelligent, sophisticated, connected ecosystem to conceptualize, design, validate, develop, make, and support these innovations.

At the Congress on the Future of Engineering Software (COFES), engineering professionals from across the industry will gather in Silicon Valley, April 7–9 to weigh the impact of technology convergence on engineering and the software engineering ecosystem. Now in its 20th year, COFES 2019 will be held at the Hotel Nia in Menlo Park. Microsoft, Facebook, and Dell are among the top sponsors of this year’s event.

Developers and builders of the future are always improving and enhancing their development, design, and product engineering tools and capabilities.

Technologies like immersive realities (like those seen in consumer VR headsets) are making their way into the engineering ecosystem. There, data-rich storytelling and immersive engineering experiences are being used to distribute and share product concepts, simultaneously, in real-time.

It’s called Immersive Product Verification –  it’s the hottest thing – and it’s the topic of Elizabeth Baron’s Monday evening (5:05 PM – 5:50 PM) Conference keynote address. The Founder and Principal of Immersionary Enterprises, LLC, Baron will explore how immersive realities, and the combination of physical and virtual worlds, lead a better understanding of the multi-function, collaborative engineering process.

Conference topics also include, “What Does the Manufacturer of the Future Look Like?” the subject of a presentation by Paul Maher, General Manager, Industry Experiences, Cloud + AI at Microsoft. CEO/Founder, IntrinSIM will address the topic “Advancing the Simulation Revolution,” and Jay Vleerschhouwer, Research Analyst at Griffin Securities, will deliver “A Brief View from Wall Street.”

Technology developers, business leaders, venture capitalists, analysts, media, academics, and users of the engineering software technologies are also part of the COFES 2019 attendee audience. The event is the engineering software industry’s only annual think tank event which brings executives from design, engineering, architectural, development and technology companies together to network and share their experiences.

Attendees include representatives from mechanical, electrical, and software design and development disciplines. Ecosystem issues here include collapsing design and production phases; building for IoT and cloud infrastructures; connections between virtual and physical items; and human and machine cooperation in design and production.

As the lines and walls between engineering and software disciplines fall more and design elements are converging. “Products built today are only partially mechanical. There’re more software and electronics involved,” observed Jim Brown, president of Tech-Clarity and a member of the COFES board of directors.

As a result, “there’s more interaction between the different disciplines. And there are advances in new materials. You could now model at the molecular level,” Brown noted, adding “We have to broaden our views of design creation, about how to create products and buildings that are smart and systems-oriented. We need to talk about what’s changing in the products we’re designing, how to optimize them.”

That discussion continues at COFES 2019 in Silicon Valley on April 7th when industry leaders meet to share ideas, network, form alliances and shape the future innovations in the engineering software ecosystem.

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