Dassault Systèmes has announced that the 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026 conference will take place from 1 to 4 February in Houston. The event will, as in previous years, bring together thousands of users of the Solidworks and 3DEXPERIENCE platforms, united by their interest in the development of design and manufacturing tools. The core of the program will be the role of artificial intelligence and virtual engineering environments in design, simulation and production processes. The organizers plan to present the capabilities of 3D UNIV+RSES and a holistic approach to artificial intelligence, covering both predictive and generative solutions. The conference is intended as a forum for exchanging experience between users of Dassault Systèmes systems, technology experts and industrial partners.
Scope and role of artificial intelligence
During 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026, Dassault Systèmes intends to present its approach to artificial intelligence as an integral element of the entire value chain, covering design, simulation, manufacturing and management. The company highlights the importance of both predictive and generative solutions in building more efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes. Artificial intelligence is to support users in creating and analysing 3D models, planning technological processes and making data-based decisions.
The conference program will also emphasize the role of virtual environments that enable testing concepts and production scenarios before they are implemented in real plants. According to the organizers, the technologies presented in Houston are intended to support users in overcoming traditional constraints of design and prototyping through the use of simulation, digital twins and integrated collaboration tools.
Keynotes and guest speakers
Among the main presentations at the conference are speeches by representatives of the Dassault Systèmes management and leaders of the Solidworks user community. The program includes presentations by Pascal Daloz, Chief Executive Officer of Dassault Systèmes, Manish Kumar, Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Research and Development at Solidworks, and Gian Paolo Bassi, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Dassault Systèmes.
Special guests will include Jensen Huang, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nvidia, Pablos Holman, known hacker and inventor, and Jay “Engineezy” Vogler, STEAM education advocate and influencer. Their talks will focus on technologies that enable the creation of advanced virtual environments used in engineering, design and manufacturing. Pablos Holman will present his roadmap for addressing global challenges with new technologies, while Jay “Engineezy” Vogler will discuss topics at the intersection of engineering, art and storytelling.
Perspectives on creativity, innovation and the role of the user community will also be presented by Manish Kumar and Suchit Jain, Vice Presidents of Strategy at Solidworks. The program will also include the annual presentation of the 10 most important enhancements to Solidworks software, aimed at engineers and designers who use this environment in their daily work.
Technical sessions, training and certification
A significant part of the 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026 program will consist of technical and training sessions prepared for participants with different levels of expertise. The organizers announce hundreds of trainings and educational sessions focused on practical aspects of working with the Solidworks and 3DEXPERIENCE platforms, covering, among other topics, modelling, simulation, product data management and integration of design and manufacturing processes.
Participants will have the opportunity to take certification exams, which will allow them to formally confirm their competencies in selected Dassault Systèmes solutions. This formula positions the conference not only as a venue for presenting new system features, but also as a platform for professional development for engineers, designers and manufacturing specialists.
Activities for students, makers and the community
The event program includes a number of activities addressed to various user groups, including students, educators and members of the maker community. One of the key elements will be the international AAKRUTI design and innovation competition for students, in which 12 teams from nine countries will face the challenge of solving real-life problems using technology, creativity and engineering skills.
An important part of the conference will also be the 3DEXPERIENCE Playground, which will include the Model Mania and Model Mania Xtreme contests, an EDU zone and a Maker zone. These areas are intended to foster knowledge exchange, presentation of ideas and hands-on testing of solutions, with an emphasis on the community-driven nature of work with digital tools.
Customer and start-up presentations
The event program also includes presentations of products and solutions developed by Solidworks customers and participants in the start-up program. Projects will be presented by companies such as Molteni Group, Westwood Robotics, Psyonic, Sparx Hockey, COM-PAK+, Novoferm and Brudden. These presentations are intended to illustrate practical applications of Solidworks and 3DEXPERIENCE tools in various industries, as well as how new software features are used in design and product development processes.
According to Dassault Systèmes, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026 is designed as a venue where users of the company's systems will be able to learn about current development directions of the platforms, exchange experiences and analyse the potential for implementing artificial intelligence-based solutions in their organizations.
