Dassault Systèmes and Omron have announced a collaboration focused on narrowing the gap between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) in manufacturing. According to the companies, the goal is to enable manufacturers and machine builders to design, simulate and deploy more flexible and efficient production systems through a unified approach that connects virtual and physical environments. In practice, this is intended to address a common challenge in modern plants, where design, automation and production systems often operate in silos, which can extend product development time, increase the risk of errors and limit production flexibility.
Within the initiative, the companies declare they will connect 3D design and simulation in the virtual world with physical-world elements such as robots, sensors and production lines. The core of the collaboration is the integration of Dassault Systèmes’ 3D solution Univ+Rses with Omron’s Sysmac industrial automation platform. The integrated environment is intended to enable the design, simulation, verification and deployment of production systems based on a virtual model.
The partnership is based on the concept of a virtual twin of production systems. According to the announcement, it is intended to allow companies to test new production lines, verify robot operation and optimize flows before the project is physically implemented. The companies indicate that IT/OT convergence is to provide a digital reference used both before commissioning and during operation. Production lines are to be designed, simulated and verified in a virtual environment enhanced with virtual assistants. Scenarios related to performance, safety, maintenance and other aspects are to be tested so that adjustments can be made before deployment in the real world.
Once the physical line is installed, real-time data from sensors, controllers and robots are to be fed back into the virtual twin. This is intended to enable comparisons between actual and simulated behavior, precise tuning and predictive maintenance in order to reduce costs and risk.
"The manufacturing industry is entering a new era. Together with Omron, we are creating AI-based, self-improving and software-defined production systems in which the virtual and physical worlds are connected through a continuous learning loop. Our models of the industrial world transform complexity into intelligence, making factories not only automated but also autonomous. In this way, we are redefining industrial systems, shifting them from reactive to predictive, from rigid to adaptive.", said Pascal Daloz, CEO of Dassault Systèmes.
"The collaboration with Dassault Systèmes strengthens our capabilities in OT and IT integration and in providing customers with end-to-end solutions, from simulation to fully deployed intelligent production.", said Motohiro Yamanishi, President of the Industrial Automation Company (IAB) at Omron Corporation.
The two companies presented the results of their collaboration at Hannover Messe 2026 (20 to 24 April). As stated, the demonstration was intended to show how digital-twin expertise and advanced automation can be combined to support more effective design, validation and operation of production systems.
