To have an opportunity to discuss specific industry topics is extremely important and rare. We are busy with every day business running and often finding hard time to break day to day routine and have an opportunity to talk with people about what we do.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us to navigate a world in which remote work and virtual communication became the norm. Over the past few years, this shift fundamentally challenged business norms, team-building, customer engagement, and the way we value personal relationships. Many people reassessed their business travel schedules, built remote teams, and reprioritized their professional commitments. Now, four years later, we’ve learned to be more efficient with our time, traveling only when necessary, and using technology to stay connected from almost anywhere (though video calls still have their limitations).
While blogging and social networks gives the opportunity to do it remotely, the experience of personal connection, live conversation and meeting room discussion didn’t go away. But the values are changing. These days when we attend conferences, it’s primarily to connect with people face-to-face, have discussions, exchange opinion, rather than just attend lectures.
For me, the opportunity to meet people and discuss various topics related to engineering software, such as new software companies, the industrial revolution, engineering and manufacturing processes, large-scale production, supply chain, the physical world, building product lines, manufacturing engineering, product life cycle, how to get to market faster, better management, industry trends, new features and technologies, manufacturing processes for mass production, market opportunities, change management life cycles, improved management, manufacturing processes and engineering, accelerating time to market, resources required to build technology, market adoption, and many others, is priceless.
A Quick Recap of TecTalk- Conferences Built Around Discussions
Earlier this October, I traveled from Boston to attend the TecTalk Executive Summit organized by Tech Soft 3D in Munich. I’ve got a flashback from the time I attended COFES. For those who remember, it was an annual gathering in Scottsdale, AZ, organized by Brad Holtz, Joel Orr, and Evan Yares. The idea was simple yet powerful – we came to the conference to enjoy the “breaks” where we could talk to people. Why not design the conference around breaks and small discussion groups? It worked, and I enjoyed the conference for nearly 15 years.
Visiting TecTalk in Munich brought me back into the same feeling of a conference built around discussions with a small number of keynotes, no brand marketing promotions, but a lot of opportunities to talk to conference participants. I think, the conference centered around open discussions and fostering meaningful connections among professionals working in a specific field is a great model and TecTalk is certainly one of a few conferences in engineering software space that does it.
The TecTalk Summit spanned two days with a small group of attendees, encouraging a close and interactive environment. The program included a personal introduction session, two keynotes, four discussion sessions, and ample time for face-to-face conversations.
My takeaway? The conference delivered immense value, and here’s a closer look at the highlights.
Keynotes on Simulation, AI, and Sustainability
The keynote presentations focused on three hot topics: simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), and sustainability. These themes are not only timely but increasingly relevant to the engineering and manufacturing sectors. It was a valuable opportunity to gain new insights into these evolving areas and their potential impact on our industry.
Inspiring discussion about AI by Théophile Allard, CTO, Neural Concept
Full of interesting data points the presentation by Carsten Hochmuth from aPriori focusing on sustainability.
The Discussions
The conference organized four discussion sessions in 5 rooms over two days. You can get an idea of topics. I put some of my notes below.
- Startup Experience – One of the sessions focused on sharing experiences from people building companies in engineering and manufacturing. This discussion was particularly valuable, touching on the unique challenges of engineering software, the art of pivoting, performance measurement, and the nuances of working with diverse engineering and manufacturing teams.
- Digital Twin – Perhaps the most engaging discussion was on the concept of the “Digital Twin.” The popularity of this term has led nearly everyone to frame their work within its scope, though definitions vary widely. This sparked some interesting debate, as everyone shared different interpretations and applications of Digital Twins—much like what happened with “PLM” in its early days. But even with varied views, the discussion underscored the concept’s increasing importance.
- AI Use Cases – Another key session covered AI use cases, which made it clear that AI technologies are rapidly expanding, especially since ChatGPT and AI co-pilots have gained mainstream attention. The dialogue highlighted that, despite the hype, many technologists are still searching for the right problems to solve with AI. This mirrors the surge in AI investments, as investors hope that at least one breakthrough idea will emerge victorious.
Environment and Organization
I give Tech Soft 3D, Ron Fritz, Jonathan Girroir, and the entire team five stars for their organization of the event. Agenda, communication, thoughtful selection of discussions – everything was great. Located in a meeting facilities of Kempinski Munich hotel, it was thoughtfully structured, provided a great environment for discussion and enjoyable space bringing a great value to be there.
What is my conclusion?
The value of bringing the right people together in one location for meaningful discussion is immense. For many years before COVID, COFES was the event that provided a unique environment for people in our industry to gather, discuss important topics, and share ideas. Bringing a powerful group together for two days of discussion is challenging. Back in the COFES days, it was a three-day event, including Saturday. Since its disappearance just before the pandemic, there has been a gap in events that prioritize meaningful dialogue. TecTalks was only two days, but it felt very valuable and provided an opportunity to meet people and discuss important topics. With TecTalks, Tech Soft 3D has created a new kind of forum for industry discussions, and I believe such events will continue to exist and expand.
Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
Disclaimer: I’m the co-founder and CEO of OpenBOM, a digital-thread platform providing cloud-native PDM, PLM, and ERP capabilities. With extensive experience in federated CAD-PDM and PLM architecture, I’m advocates for agile, open product models and cloud technologies in manufacturing. My opinion can be unintentionally biased.
