June 1, 2026
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Siemens has opened Realize LIVE Americas 2026, its flagship customer event in Detroit. Realize LIVE brings together 3,000 users, partners and the broader Siemens community to share collective knowledge, best practice and insight, and provides a platform for Siemens to share its vision for the future of engineering and manufacturing in a rapidly changing world.
Industrial Intelligence takes center stage
Tony Hemmelgarn, president and CEO of Siemens Digital Industries Software, opened the event by drawing a vivid parallel between wildfire crisis command centers and the reality of modern manufacturing. Just as fire crews depend on real-time data, from weather and fuel maps to satellite signatures, crew locations and predictive models fused into one shared picture, so too do manufacturers need a living, real-time view of their operations to respond when conditions change faster than plans.
"Supply chains break. Demand swings happen overnight. Regulation shifts occur. A material can disappear. Suddenly you've got to move a factory from one part of the world to another," said Hemmelgarn. "Like wildfire crews, you need a plan. But more importantly, you need a plan that has the ability to change the moment reality changes."
This year's central theme, Industrial Intelligence, represents the convergence of the comprehensive digital twin, lifecycle intelligence and adaptive execution. Hemmelgarn positioned it as the future of engineering and manufacturing: an enterprise that learns, predicts and optimizes before anything is built, grounded in physics, AI and real-world data.
Siemens announces Intelligence Center X
The headline product announcement was Intelligence Center X, new industrial AI orchestration software that helps organizations move from isolated AI experimentation into scalable business impact. Part of Siemens Xcelerator, it combines the Mendix low-code platform with Graph Studio and AI Studio from the Rapidminer portfolio so that people and AI agents can work together as a hybrid workforce with shared context, coordinated workflows and full auditability.
Intelligence Center X connects data across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and service into shared lifecycle intelligence that AI can act on. Hemmelgarn illustrated the value through an aircraft maintenance scenario. When a fleet of jets experiences unscheduled downtime from hydraulic leaks, Intelligence Center X enables the customer to build an AI agent that combines operational data with physics-based simulation to pinpoint the root cause. Teamcenter identifies the exact configurations affected. Intelligence Center X then recommends whether to redesign, adjust maintenance intervals or absorb the cost, and executes the change. Insight to decision to action.
Hemmelgarn quoted one customer CEO - "The last thing I need in my organization is for AI to go grab and lock on to a SharePoint location that's 20 years old." Trusted outcomes require trusted data, managed in Teamcenter, not snapshots in data lakes.
AI that amplifies engineering
Hemmelgarn also outlined Siemens' AI strategy in three compounding layers.
Faster engines use AI to narrow the design space, learning from prior simulations and real-world data to focus compute where it matters. "The physics engine does not change. What changes is how intelligently we're aiming it. It's not replacing deterministic truth. It's making it scalable," said Hemmelgarn.
Smarter execution embeds intelligence directly into workflows, automating routines and amplifying expertise across design, simulation and operations.
Trusted outcomes turn lifecycle data into decision-ready intelligence: the right architecture, the right trade-offs, the right decisions.
Simcenter Simsolid, PhysicAI and GenAI for Design
Simcenter Simsolid eliminates one of the biggest bottlenecks in simulation, the geometry preparation and meshing process, taking engineers from CAD assemblies to analysis in minutes. Customers from Airbus and Rolls-Royce to hundreds of small and medium businesses have adopted it for the speed and accuracy it delivers.
Simcenter PhysicAI takes this further, using deep learning trained on historical simulations to evaluate new designs in seconds. Customer Kinetic Vision reported predictions 4,000 times faster with 98 percent accuracy.
Building on Simcenter PhysicAI, Hemmelgarn announced Simcenter PhysicsAI Generate, which generates new design concepts from input data and outputs geometry that engineers can directly edit using Designcenter Convergent Modeling. Simulation-quality insights in seconds, new design concepts to match.
Bridging PLM and EDA for the 3D IC era
As Moore's Law hits physical limits and AI demands faster integrated circuits, the industry is moving into 3D IC stacking, where thermal, electrical and mechanical forces collide. Siemens' integration of PLM and EDA is paying dividends here: Designcenter and Simcenter for thermal flow, Innovator3D IC for stacked die architectures, Calibre 3DThermal for die-level hot spots and AI analyzing the full stack. The goal is to engineer reliability up front, not discover it in the field, where yield losses can reach 50 percent.
Design-to-source intelligence
Siemens is expanding real-time market intelligence beyond electronics. Siemens’ Supplyframe already serves 15 million users with pricing, availability and lifecycle data. The new Xometry partnership extends this into CNC machining, 3D printing, metal fabrication and injection molding with deep Designcenter integration. The acquisition of Volition adds standard industrial parts from thousands of suppliers.
"As you're designing, you can see exactly what this thing costs. And with a push of a button, you can have it produced," said Hemmelgarn. "Design to cost to sourcing, all happening in seconds."
Software-defined products
For products with millions of lines of code, Hemmelgarn made the case that testing is a systems problem, not just a testing problem. Siemens’ technology connects silicon, electronics, mechanics, manufacturing and operations into a complete digital twin for enterprise-scale verification. In one demo, product software was validated against a virtual ARM processor that hasn't been built yet. Siemens’ technology is then able to accelerate root cause analysis, catching hardware-software issues the moment they appear rather than months later in the lab.
PepsiCo: "winning with twinning"
Hemmelgarn was followed by Steve Hoinka, global vice president of Manufacturing Strategy and Transformation at PepsiCo, who shared how PepsiCo is using the digital twin to rethink manufacturing and warehouse operations without extending its physical footprint.
Steve Hoinka, global vice president of Manufacturing Strategy and Transformation at PepsiCo
"When you think PepsiCo, you probably think about the soft drinks and the snacks. I'm willing to bet that in 15 minutes, you won't be able to hear the company name without thinking of AI-driven transformation."
The challenge Hoinka detailed was to unify two brownfield facilities, funnel product into a new mixing center and unlock new capacity. Using Teamcenter, Plant Simulation and Digital Twin Composer, accelerated by NVIDIA Omniverse, PepsiCo built a full digital twin of the entire value chain and ran multiple design iterations in weeks rather than months. "We will do nothing, make no capital investment unless we prove it digitally first. Design digitally, implement physically."
"We will do nothing, make no capital investment unless we prove it digitally first. Design digitally, implement physically." Steve Hoinka, global vice president of Manufacturing Strategy and Transformation at PepsiCo
The results:
Techcellence Awards expands to include Responsible AI adoption
The first day also saw the third annual Techcellence Awards, recognizing customers and individuals driving change through digital transformation, sustainability, innovation, community leadership and new for this year, Responsible AI.
Techcellence award wiinners for this year's event
This year's winners were Vivix Vidros Planos (Digital Transformation), Lucid (Responsible AI), Haddy (Sustainability Impact), Steve Hoinka of PepsiCo (Innovation Leader) and David Stuckman of Procter & Gamble (Community Champion). Winners receive VIP passes for Realize LIVE 2027. Techcellence Europe will be announced in Amsterdam, June 30 to July 2, and for the first time, Techcellence Asia-Pacific in Bengaluru, India, August 4 to 5. Realize LIVE Americas continues today. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week.
Link to Press Release
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Siemens has opened Realize LIVE Americas 2026, its flagship customer event in Detroit. Realize LIVE brings together 3,000 users, partners and the broader Siemens community to share collective knowledge, best practice and insight, and provides a platform for Siemens to share its vision for the future of engineering and manufacturing in a rapidly changing world.
Industrial Intelligence takes center stage
Tony Hemmelgarn, president and CEO of Siemens Digital Industries Software, opened the event by drawing a vivid parallel between wildfire crisis command centers and the reality of modern manufacturing. Just as fire crews depend on real-time data, from weather and fuel maps to satellite signatures, crew locations and predictive models fused into one shared picture, so too do manufacturers need a living, real-time view of their operations to respond when conditions change faster than plans.
"Supply chains break. Demand swings happen overnight. Regulation shifts occur. A material can disappear. Suddenly you've got to move a factory from one part of the world to another," said Hemmelgarn. "Like wildfire crews, you need a plan. But more importantly, you need a plan that has the ability to change the moment reality changes."
This year's central theme, Industrial Intelligence, represents the convergence of the comprehensive digital twin, lifecycle intelligence and adaptive execution. Hemmelgarn positioned it as the future of engineering and manufacturing: an enterprise that learns, predicts and optimizes before anything is built, grounded in physics, AI and real-world data.
Siemens announces Intelligence Center X
The headline product announcement was Intelligence Center X, new industrial AI orchestration software that helps organizations move from isolated AI experimentation into scalable business impact. Part of Siemens Xcelerator, it combines the Mendix low-code platform with Graph Studio and AI Studio from the Rapidminer portfolio so that people and AI agents can work together as a hybrid workforce with shared context, coordinated workflows and full auditability.
Intelligence Center X connects data across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and service into shared lifecycle intelligence that AI can act on. Hemmelgarn illustrated the value through an aircraft maintenance scenario. When a fleet of jets experiences unscheduled downtime from hydraulic leaks, Intelligence Center X enables the customer to build an AI agent that combines operational data with physics-based simulation to pinpoint the root cause. Teamcenter identifies the exact configurations affected. Intelligence Center X then recommends whether to redesign, adjust maintenance intervals or absorb the cost, and executes the change. Insight to decision to action.
Hemmelgarn quoted one customer CEO - "The last thing I need in my organization is for AI to go grab and lock on to a SharePoint location that's 20 years old." Trusted outcomes require trusted data, managed in Teamcenter, not snapshots in data lakes.
AI that amplifies engineering
Hemmelgarn also outlined Siemens' AI strategy in three compounding layers.
Faster engines use AI to narrow the design space, learning from prior simulations and real-world data to focus compute where it matters. "The physics engine does not change. What changes is how intelligently we're aiming it. It's not replacing deterministic truth. It's making it scalable," said Hemmelgarn.
Smarter execution embeds intelligence directly into workflows, automating routines and amplifying expertise across design, simulation and operations.
Trusted outcomes turn lifecycle data into decision-ready intelligence: the right architecture, the right trade-offs, the right decisions.
Simcenter Simsolid, PhysicAI and GenAI for Design
Simcenter Simsolid eliminates one of the biggest bottlenecks in simulation, the geometry preparation and meshing process, taking engineers from CAD assemblies to analysis in minutes. Customers from Airbus and Rolls-Royce to hundreds of small and medium businesses have adopted it for the speed and accuracy it delivers.
Simcenter PhysicAI takes this further, using deep learning trained on historical simulations to evaluate new designs in seconds. Customer Kinetic Vision reported predictions 4,000 times faster with 98 percent accuracy.
Building on Simcenter PhysicAI, Hemmelgarn announced Simcenter PhysicsAI Generate, which generates new design concepts from input data and outputs geometry that engineers can directly edit using Designcenter Convergent Modeling. Simulation-quality insights in seconds, new design concepts to match.
Bridging PLM and EDA for the 3D IC era
As Moore's Law hits physical limits and AI demands faster integrated circuits, the industry is moving into 3D IC stacking, where thermal, electrical and mechanical forces collide. Siemens' integration of PLM and EDA is paying dividends here: Designcenter and Simcenter for thermal flow, Innovator3D IC for stacked die architectures, Calibre 3DThermal for die-level hot spots and AI analyzing the full stack. The goal is to engineer reliability up front, not discover it in the field, where yield losses can reach 50 percent.
Design-to-source intelligence
Siemens is expanding real-time market intelligence beyond electronics. Siemens’ Supplyframe already serves 15 million users with pricing, availability and lifecycle data. The new Xometry partnership extends this into CNC machining, 3D printing, metal fabrication and injection molding with deep Designcenter integration. The acquisition of Volition adds standard industrial parts from thousands of suppliers.
"As you're designing, you can see exactly what this thing costs. And with a push of a button, you can have it produced," said Hemmelgarn. "Design to cost to sourcing, all happening in seconds."
Software-defined products
For products with millions of lines of code, Hemmelgarn made the case that testing is a systems problem, not just a testing problem. Siemens’ technology connects silicon, electronics, mechanics, manufacturing and operations into a complete digital twin for enterprise-scale verification. In one demo, product software was validated against a virtual ARM processor that hasn't been built yet. Siemens’ technology is then able to accelerate root cause analysis, catching hardware-software issues the moment they appear rather than months later in the lab.
PepsiCo: "winning with twinning"
Hemmelgarn was followed by Steve Hoinka, global vice president of Manufacturing Strategy and Transformation at PepsiCo, who shared how PepsiCo is using the digital twin to rethink manufacturing and warehouse operations without extending its physical footprint.
Steve Hoinka, global vice president of Manufacturing Strategy and Transformation at PepsiCo
"When you think PepsiCo, you probably think about the soft drinks and the snacks. I'm willing to bet that in 15 minutes, you won't be able to hear the company name without thinking of AI-driven transformation."
The challenge Hoinka detailed was to unify two brownfield facilities, funnel product into a new mixing center and unlock new capacity. Using Teamcenter, Plant Simulation and Digital Twin Composer, accelerated by NVIDIA Omniverse, PepsiCo built a full digital twin of the entire value chain and ran multiple design iterations in weeks rather than months. "We will do nothing, make no capital investment unless we prove it digitally first. Design digitally, implement physically."
"We will do nothing, make no capital investment unless we prove it digitally first. Design digitally, implement physically." Steve Hoinka, global vice president of Manufacturing Strategy and Transformation at PepsiCo
The results:
- - 90 percent+ of potential operational issues avoided before implementation
- - 20 percent throughput improvement across the end-to-end value chain
- - 10-15 percent CapEx reduction through digital-first design
- - Design cycles compressed from months to weeks
Techcellence Awards expands to include Responsible AI adoption
The first day also saw the third annual Techcellence Awards, recognizing customers and individuals driving change through digital transformation, sustainability, innovation, community leadership and new for this year, Responsible AI.
Techcellence award wiinners for this year's event
This year's winners were Vivix Vidros Planos (Digital Transformation), Lucid (Responsible AI), Haddy (Sustainability Impact), Steve Hoinka of PepsiCo (Innovation Leader) and David Stuckman of Procter & Gamble (Community Champion). Winners receive VIP passes for Realize LIVE 2027. Techcellence Europe will be announced in Amsterdam, June 30 to July 2, and for the first time, Techcellence Asia-Pacific in Bengaluru, India, August 4 to 5. Realize LIVE Americas continues today. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week.
Link to Press Release