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Reflections on Aras Connect Europe 2024: An unforgettable tour of innovation and community
This October, we wrapped up an incredible month-long journey across Europe, showcasing our Aras Connect events in four major cities: Stockholm, Birmingham, Paris, and Frankfurt. Each location set the stage for dynamic gatherings that brought together Aras customers, partners, and an impressive group of industry experts. Close to 500 unique registrations underscored the event’s draw and importance—over half of which came from industry leaders eager to exchange ideas, explore solutions, and collaborate on the future of the digital thread.
Each stop strengthened connections within the Aras community, helping our customers tackle their unique challenges in product lifecycle management (PLM) and digital thread. Here is a look back at each event, with key takeaways that highlight the distinctive aspects of the tour and the direction we are heading in as a community.
Aras Connect Nordics: A strong start in Stockholm
The tour launched in Stockholm on October 2 and 3, where more than 120 attendees gathered for an intense day and a half of sessions and discussions. The Nordics have always been known for their forward-thinking approach, and the Stockholm event brought that spirit to life with deep dives into Aras Innovator, digital thread, and digital twin technologies.
Patrick Willemsen, Ulf Asklund (QCM), and Jörgen Ekblad (QCM) highlighted how the EU’s DPP initiative is transforming product sustainability. Ola Dagberg and Linus Kemmler shared how DeLaval evolved from PDM to a comprehensive PLM solution with Aras Innovator. Kevin Schmitt (PwC Deutschland) explored how modern PLM ecosystems drive winning products. Olivier Jacquot from our partner Inensia shared how Mersen generates eco-passports from Aras Innovator to communicate the environmental impacts of their products
A high level of interest surrounded the discussions on AI, Supplier Management Solutions, the Digital Product Passport (DPP), and the digital twin.
The energy at Aras Connect Nordics made for an inspiring beginning to the series, and many left with new insights on how Aras Innovator® can drive impact within their own organizations.
Aras Connect UK: Spotlight on future innovation in Birmingham
On October 9, the tour moved to Birmingham for a concentrated, one-day event with approximately 100 attendees, including customers, partners, and some of the UK’s most influential industry experts. The event’s agenda was packed with compelling presentations that highlighted the current and future applications of Aras Innovator, particularly within the context of the digital thread.
Executive meetings and industry panels offered invaluable insights into how various organizations are tackling their particular challenges with the help of Aras. A significant portion of the day focused on AI’s impact on PLM. Conversations continued well into networking sessions. The UK event illustrated a deep commitment to innovation, and the insights gained will no doubt inspire future product advancements.At the event, Isabel Tingay shared Johnson Matthey’s journey in moving from a document-centric model to a fully digitally connected approach, marking a big step in their digital transformation. Stephane Guignard from Aficient highlighted how Nicomatic quickly implemented Aras Innovator SaaS with support from Inensia, streamlining workflows within a flat management structure. Petri Surakka and Rhys Bennett from Fulvisol Oy presented an innovative systems engineering approach for designing remote maintenance on a future nuclear fusion power plant, using Aras Innovator as a key tool in the process.
Aras Connect France: Innovation in the heart of Paris
The Paris event on October 15 and 16 drew an engaged crowd of attendees eager to explore and discuss the complexities of modern PLM in the heart of France’s innovation scene. This event provided a rich environment for knowledge-sharing, with French industry leaders presenting their PLM journeys and highlighting how Aras Innovator enabled flexibility, resilience, and seamless integration across digital infrastructures. Benjamin Loubet of AVEVA shared how we’re partnering to deliver scalable asset lifecycle management solutions. David Breneur highlighted how Haulotte manages the entire purchase price lifecycle to effectively control the costs of new products.
An important feature of the Paris gathering was the half-day Technical Summit held on the second day, which was a major success. This in-depth session allowed attendees to delve into the technical possibilities within Aras Innovator, with Aras experts and engineers leading demonstrations and interactive sessions. Attendees had the chance to explore detailed configurations and workflows, gaining hands-on insights that many cited as the highlight of the event. The summit underscored Aras’ technical depth and commitment to helping customers and partners push the boundaries of what PLM can achieve.
Aras Connect Germany: A grand finale in Frankfurt
The final stop of the tour, held in Frankfurt on October 23 and 24, marked the largest gathering of the series, with a record-breaking 130 attendees. Frankfurt’s event captured the collective spirit of Aras Connect 2024, featuring insightful presentations from industry giants like T-Systems, who shared their experience using Aras at CERN, PMI, and PwC, who offered unique insights into Aras Innovator’s role in complex digital infrastructures. These real-world examples illustrated how Aras empowers resilience and agility in top organizations worldwide.
Live demonstrations and internal sessions generated significant interest, sparking meaningful discussions on how PLM supports complex engineering and digital transformation projects. The presence of a MEILLER tipping trailer—a showcase of Aras-enabled engineering—was a physical reminder of Aras’ capacity to bring complex, high-stakes projects to life. Between sessions and over dinner, attendees enjoyed ample networking opportunities that brought customers, partners, and the Aras team together to build new connections, exchange ideas, and explore future collaborations.
With Frankfurt as a powerful conclusion to the Aras Connect 2024 tour, this final event highlighted the collective commitment to advancing PLM and exploring new frontiers of digital transformation together.
Looking Ahead to ACE 2025: Join us for Aras’ 25th anniversary in Boston!
Our journey through Europe this October was more than a series of events; it was a celebration of community, innovation, and the shared challenges we tackle together. Across Stockholm, Birmingham, Paris, and Frankfurt, the conversations, insights, and connections formed have left us inspired and more determined than ever to continue driving transformation.
We’re excited to announce our 2025 annual event—ACE 2025 in Boston, marking Aras’ 25th anniversary! Join a dynamic community of product lifecycle management professionals from around the world as we explore the latest breakthroughs in AI, PLM, and the Digital Thread. You’ll gain valuable insights, expand your expertise, and discover fresh perspectives on emerging technologies and industry trends. This year’s theme, Connected Intelligence: AI, PLM, and a Future-ready Digital Thread, will showcase diverse ways to transform your organization with Aras. Don’t miss it!
