Dassault Systèmes Fuels Academic Innovation Through Software and Technology Initiatives

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France and MEXICO CITY — May 18, 2011 — Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, today announced at the Mexico Innovation and Collaboration Forum gathering Dassault Systèmes clients and partners, that it is significantly increasing its academic partnerships and initiatives across the region.

Governments, businesses and organizations across Latin America are investing in educational programs to support economic growth across traditional and growing industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy and consumer goods to name a few.  

“As a technology leader in the Latin America region, we are working closely with the public, private, and academic sectors to help train students innovate and create products and services of the future using the latest 3D PLM technologies,” stated Marcelo Lemos, Latin America general manager, Dassault Systèmes.  “These skills include the understanding and application of new social collaboration technologies such as on-line communities on the cloud for secure knowledge-sharing and product design.”

Dassault Systèmes has partnerships with more than 60 educational institutions in the region.  Some of the most recent initiatives include:

• Mexico:  In 2010, the Universidad Tecnologica de Puebla (UTP) launched the first, fully-equipped, 3D PLM Lab in the country and it is now helping launch similar initiatives across 77 other academic institutions in Mexico.  Because the town of Puebla is a magnet center for automotive suppliers such as Volkswagen, UTP students are also offered internship opportunities working for major automotive players there.  In March of this year, the Instituto de Capacitacion Estatal de Guanajuato launched the first PLM Mobile Lab with PLM software on traveling laptops to facilitate teaching across the Guanajuato state.  With the existing PLM Competency Center in the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Dassault Systèmes’ local ecosystem can now rely upon three advanced PLM Labs offering high quality academic training.   

• Brazil: The Institute of European Design (IED), an international network of design schools offering education and research in areas of design, fashion, visual arts and communication, sponsored a student design contest for DECA, a well-known Brazilian retailer selling luxury bathroom accessories.  Students were trained in the use of CATIA, Dassault Systèmes’ virtual design solution, and commissioned to create an eco-friendly faucet with environmentally friendly features for water preservation. SENAI (Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial) and ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) are two other well- known educational institutions among Dassault Systèmes’ growing Brazilian academic network. 

• Argentina: The PLM lab in Universidad Nacional de La Plata (La Plata National University) played a key role in developing the SAC-D space satellite for NASA in conjunction with CONAE (Argentine National Commission for Space Activities).  The satellite will track and predict climate changes accurately and help avoid natural disasters.  It is the first time NASA has outsourced tool development to third parties like UNLP and CONAE. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba and Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires are among other major educational institutions working with Dassault Systèmes 

By partnering with local academic players, Dassault Systèmes is matching fresh concepts and ideas with science and technology solutions to help deliver the next wave of products and services across the region.  For more information: https://academy.3ds.com/.