CONTACT Software is driving the industry’s digital transformation. At this year’s Open World, the company emphasized its position as a digitalization partner and presented innovative solutions in the areas of PLM, IoT, and artificial intelligence together with customers and partners. With around 700 participants from 20 countries, the event set a new attendance record.

Under the motto “Fast Forward Digital Transformation”, the international CONTACT community came together on November 12 and 13 in Munich, Germany. From the opening keynote by Managing Director Maximilian Zachries to the presentations by science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar and AI expert Kenza Ait Si Abbou Lyadini, two topics took center stage: artificial intelligence (AI) and connecting sustainability and economic efficiency. Systematic and rapid digitalization is essential to navigate challenging times, Zachries emphasized: “Clean data is the foundation – not just for AI, but for digitalization as a whole.”

Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Dr. Udo Göbel introduced upcoming AI applications in CONTACT’s Elements platform, including a similarity search for CAD models and a global search for queries in natural language. He particularly underscored secure data processing within the customer infrastructure and a high level of data governance as key elements of CONTACT’s AI strategy.

Chief Product Officer Frank Patz-Brockmann presented the highlights of the latest platform version and gave a glimpse into the upcoming CONTACT Elements 16, set to launch in 2025. With the new version, customers will benefit from six times faster performance, more efficient memory usage, and optimization for cloud infrastructure and Web UI. Patz-Brockmann emphasized that Elements would support companies even better in creating a sustainable product lifecycle. The platform already provides features for calculating the Product Carbon Footprint, comprehensive material data management, and the seamless integration of supplier data.

In a variety of specialized sessions, CONTACT’s experts showcased new features in the platform and outlined the innovation roadmap. For example, Elements for IoT can now be used as an energy management system, enabling companies to monitor, analyze, and sustainably reduce their energy consumption. It is eligible for state subsidies in Germany. CONTACT’s project management software Project Office focuses on improved performance for complex projects and optimized usability, which supports occasional users even better in their work. One of the various updates planned for CIM Database PLM is a comprehensively revised Engineering Change Management. And thanks to the Microsoft Office for Web integration, CONTACT’s SaaS solution CIM Database Cloud now enables users to create and edit Office documents directly in the cloud client.

At Open World, a range of customers once again provided exclusive insights into their digitalization projects, including Audi, BASF Polyurethanes, Huber+Suhner, and Woco Industrietechnik. Automation specialist PIA Automation Holding kicked off the presentations. Co-CEO Thomas Ernst highlighted the pivotal role of CIM Database in unifying the group, which was formed from multiple companies. His advice to the audience regarding digital transformation was clear: “Don’t wait, others just do it!”

The accompanying partner exhibition impressively demonstrated how CONTACT is consistently expanding its global ecosystem to support customers worldwide in their digital transformation. A total of 38 partner companies from the US, Europe, India, South Korea, China, Japan, and Vietnam presented their solutions and digitalization offerings.