As we near 2025, we’re taking a look back at some of the biggest and most memorable moments of the last year. 2024 was a testament to Dassault Systèmes’ unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and enabling collaboration to uncover new possibilities. From pioneering new technologies that are reshaping entire industries to being at the forefront of conversations on sustainability, healthcare, manufacturing and more, we’ve been in the news quite a lot in the last 12 months. Here are some of the biggest stories:
Magic Wheelchair:
Each year, a team from SOLIDWORKS spends the better portion of the early fall months designing a Halloween costume for a child in a wheelchair. Dassault Systèmes has been helping with this great project for years. Adrian, who was gifted a wheelchair this year, was so excited to share his Transformer-themed costume on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Living Heart Project
The Living Heart Project brings together engineers and surgeons to design a simulation program that can create a virtual twin of a patient’s heart to enable more precise cardiovascular care. The project was born out of a need for one, but has expanded significantly, resulting in a joint venture with the United States Food and Drug Administration. This year, several major news outlets based in the US featured stories on the project and its progress:
- “Collaboration Provides Heartbeat for Living Heart Project,” Forbes
- “The Telltale Heart,” The Washington Post
- “My 2-year-old daughter needed a pacemaker. That spurred me to engineer a virtual heart, and now customized 3D simulations are saving lives,” Fortune
Sustainability initiatives
For years, Dassault Systèmes has made itself known as a sustainability-minded company. Our initiatives are rooted in our climate-friendly efforts, and this year, the evidence of that was clear to a large audience.
Authority Magazine published an in-depth interview with Philippine de T’Serclaes,PhD, our chief sustainability officer, discussing the current state of the environment, sustainable solutions to building a greener future, and the role of innovative technologies helping achieve these aims.
In a story about how large corporations are adding transparency into their climate communications, Director of Business Consulting Raymond Wodar spoke to our company’s enablement of lifecycle product assessments. By providing manufacturers with the full greenhouse gas emissions reporting on particular materials or goods, those companies can make the most sustainable choices possible for their own processes.
Manufacturing progress & enablement
In the world of manufacturing, progress isn’t always breaking news. But in 2024, we were featured in several publications relating to how our technology enables manufacturers to do more and do better:
- “How the auto industry leverages ‘virtual twin’ tech to speed production and slash costs,” Tech Brew
- “Humans Still Outmaneuver Robots When It Comes to Building Planes,” Bloomberg
- “The future of manufacturing depends on digital transformation,” The Korean Economic Daily
Dassault Systèmes’ employee achieves World Record
In October, Paralympian and Dassault Systèmes employee Kazuhiko Kanno achieved an incredible feat, smashing a World Record for the farthest distance ridden in handcycling in an hour. He sped through the streets of Paris with employees and fans in tow, riding 28 kilometers to get his latest taste of glory.
Inaugurations & openings
In 2024, Dassault Systèmes inaugurated a new 3DEXPERIENCE Lab at the company’s headquarters in Velizy, France, an event hosted in conjunction with the lab’s annual Meshmerise event.
We also opened another satellite lab in Sao Paulo, Brazil, our first in Latin America.
In 2025, a new lab space will open in Pune, India, and we might also see further expansion in Quebec, Canada.
There will be plenty more headlines in the year to come, so stay tuned to learn more about what Dassault Systèmes and its employees are getting up to around the world. You can also read more about company updates and big news in our newsroom.
Shoshana is a Senior Communications Manager on the Corporate Publishing team here at Dassault Systèmes. With experience in journalism, marketing, and PR, her work has been published around the world and across the internet.