After a long hiatus, the prostep ivip symposium returned to the bcc Berlin Congress Center and, with 650 participants—including 90 international guests from Japan, South Korea, and the US—enjoyed a very positive response despite industry-wide travel restrictions.

Under the motto “Revolutionizing Industries With Digital Twins and AI,” the association underscored its strategic realignment. Spokesman for the Executive Board Henrik Weimer emphasized: “We must change if we want to continue to fulfill our role in the digital transformation.” The agenda, featuring four keynotes, over 60 presentations, and numerous workshops, reflected this change – topics such as digital twins, AI, and software-defined vehicles dominated alongside classic PLM content.

Premium sponsor Volkswagen presented its future strategy: instead of the previous global car, regional vehicles are to be developed using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systèmes. The aim is to shorten product development by six months and achieve cost savings of up to €200 million.

Dassault Systèmes Managing Director Sabine Scheunert emphasized the importance of AI integration and digital sovereignty for Europe, while IDSA Chairman Dr. Reinhold Achatz presented trustworthy data ecosystems as the key to data-based value creation.

The fully booked exhibition with 36 vendors and the popular guided tours ensured lively exchanges. The Start-up Pitch Award (€2,500) was won by Dr. Michael Pfenning from Elevanting Patterns GmbH with a federated digital thread solution.

At the evening event, Paul Göcker (master's thesis, €1,000) and Dr. Constantin Mandel (doctoral thesis, €4,000) received the Scientific Awards. Former Chairman Armin Hoffacker was named an honorary member.