Video and Interviews



Photo Gallery

Virtual simulation: creating opportunities for companies and a driving force for employment

October 22nd, 2012 - Lazise (Verona), Italy

LAZISE - October 22nd, 2012 - Virtual experimentation creates employment opportunities for young people but, most importantly, it is an investment in terms of quality and cost savings for companies. Simulation affects all sectors, without exception, and it was the star of the 28th edition of the International CAE Conference, a landmark event in the world of simulation technology and CAE (Computer Aided Engineering), where Italy is a leader, at the European level.

The international conference, scheduled for today and tomorrow, Tuesday, October 23, at the Hotel Parchi del Garda in Lazise (Verona), sees the participation of 700 people coming from all over the world and representing the fields of research, the academic world and the companies operating in the sector. Dozens of international companies and institutions participate in the event, including HP, IBM, the Institute for Pharmacological Research Mario Negri, the Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, EnginSoft, Ansys, Nvidia, Esteco, Mentor Graphics, Lms , AVL, SCSK and many others.

The conference opened with a letter by Giorgio Squinzi, president of Confindustria, who, despite his absence, wanted to express his good wishes. Squinzi highlighted the need on the part of companies "to roll up their sleeves and tackle contingencies, without losing sight of the competitive environment in the medium term," stressing that "the issues addressed in the CAE Conference are undoubtedly exceptional competitive levers for the development of better products and reduced operational costs and times."

Special guest, during the morning section, was Prof. Parviz Moin, founder and director of the Center for Turbulence Research at Stanford University (California).The Center was created in 1987 as a research consortium between NASA and Stanford University and is dedicated to the study of fluid turbulent motions, which concerns many different areas of our daily lives: from aviation to wind energy, from medicine to biology. Professor Moin has pioneered the use of Large Eddy Simulation, which is a particular methodology for the simulation of turbulence and a reference point in the sector.

Professor Moin, in his speech, emphasized the role played by simulation in terms of business and investment as well as in occupation. "Simulation is important because it improves efficiency for companies and decreases costs - he explained. Virtual testing today is used not only to validate laboratory experiments but mainly to make new discoveries, in addition, of course, to the work of designing new products. Simulations are more accurate; in particular the carrying out of the design phase has improved 20 thousand times since the origins.

"Where is simulation used? As Moin explains, it is an advanced technology that touches all sectors: from the design of aircraft turbines to the analysis of pollution, passing through automotive cooling systems. "Virtual simulation can become an opportunity for employment for young people: "Industry is adopting simulation in the process of design and production, so there are great opportunities for work - concluded Professor Moin. But it is essential to focus on a type of education that has a solid foundation in calculus, physics, and computer science. "

Among the leading companies present at the event, is EnginSoft, a world leader in innovation consulting, testing and virtual CAE, as well as being a sponsor of the conference. Stefano Odorizzi, President and CEO of EnginSoft, highlighted, in his speech, that simulation has grown over the years and he especially emphasized the large number of areas where it can be applied." Through numerical simulation it is possible to reproduce the behaviour of a particular subject in a potentially infinite number of diverse situations. From mechanics to fluid dynamics, from acoustics to the biomedical sector, simulation allows great strides forward, as it accurately reproduces reality. We have learned that networking is the key to promoting innovation, because each sector has something to offer in terms of know-how. By joining forces we can get better results. "

Simulation has positive repercussions in the biomedical field, as testified by Andrea Remuzzi, Director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Institute of Pharmacological Research Mario Negri. Remuzzi presented the research project for "validation of computational models for surgical planning of vascular access in haemodialysis patients." Currently there are about 2 million people worldwide suffering from end-stage renal disease, a condition that in most cases requires haemodialysis. As explained by Remuzzi, currently the leading cause of morbidity and hospitalization in haemodialysis patients consists of the short and long-term dysfunction in the vascular access used to connect the patient's bloodstream to the artificial kidney. "Through this project - said Eng. Remuzzi – computational tools have been developed with the specific aim of preventing complications during surgery." The next step will be to validate this study on the clinical front, in order to be able to understand the effectiveness, functionality and impact of this new tool that could pave the way for other simulation applications in the biomedical field.

For more details, please visit the Conference website