Here you see a recap of the program of the automotive CAE Grand Challenge 2026. As soon as the program of the 2027 conference is finalized, you will find it here.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

The times given here refer to CEST = UTC+2h

Optimization & Robustness: Challenges of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Chair: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Axel Schumacher - University of Wuppertal Room: Brüder Grimm Saal
09:00	Welcome and Introduction Dr.-Ing. Dirk Ulrich - carhs.training gmbh
09:30	Combining traditional MDO methods with parametric and surrogate models speeds up optimisation processes, while considering the impact of manufacturing Dr.-Ing. Hendrik Schafstall - Detroit Engineered Products
10:00	Practical Advances in Multidisciplinary Optimization: Reducing Computational Effort and Improving Solution Quality Dr.-Ing. Jana Hahlweg - Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG
10:30	Including NVH Requirements in MDOs: Challenges and Strategies Dr. André Backes - TECOSIM GmbH
11:00	Coffee Break
11:30	From Structure to Flow: A Multidisciplinary and Optimization Driven Workflow Redefining What’s Possible for Cast Components and Runner Systems Sanjay Girish, Thomas Spoida - Bionic Mesh Design GmbH
12:00	Kube KAB3L – HV-Cables as an Interdisciplinary Modeling Approach Vitali Gerbershagen, Cedric Guarino - Kube GmbH Ingenieurbüro
12:30	AI-powered Engineering: Applying Graph Databases to get a wide context for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Christopher Woll - GNS Systems GmbH
13:00	Lunch Break
Material Modeling - Focus Structural Analysis: Advanced Modelling of Material Damage and Failure Chair: Mark Gevers - TECOSIM GmbH Room: Brüder Grimm Saal
14:00	Material simulation: What’s missing? The Volkswagen brand perspective Dr.-Ing. Tony Porsch - Volkswagen AG
14:30	User-Defined Plasticity and Fracture Model for Mesh-Adapted Automotive Structural Analysis Dr.-Ing. Chongyang Zeng, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Xiangfan Fang - University of Siegen
14:55	Hardware Validation of a Micromechanics-Based Stress State Dependent Failure Model for Ductile Steel and Aluminium Materials in ABAQUS, LS-DYNA and PAM-CRASH Dr.-Ing. Sirus Rafiee - Waldaschaff Automotive GmbH
15:20	Advanced Modelling of Material Damage and Failure using OpenRadioss and Radioss Marian Bulla - Altair Engineering GmbH; Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Stefan Kolling - TH Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences; Paul Du Bois - Hermes Engineering NV
15:45	Coffee Break
16:15	Interactions between Loading Path and Plastic Flow in Ductile Damage and Failure Modeling Daniel Muñoz Valentin, Alberto Regidor, Javier Ferrer Revenga, Borja Garcia - newgentechs
16:40	Material Modeling - Focus Structural Analysis: Advanced Modelling of Material Damage and Failure Stefan Wacker - DYNAmore Gesellschaft für FEM Ingenieurdienstleistungen mbH et al.
17:05	Experimental Calibration and Validation of Radioss Adhesive Laws for Automotive Structural Adhesives Dr. Daniel Campos Murcia - Applus+ DatapointLabs; Brian Croop - DatapointLabs
CAE Process & QA: Automated CAE Model Quality Checks for Certification Readiness Chair: Dr.-Ing. Dirk Rensink - SEGULA Technologies Germany Room: Conference Room 1 – 4
09:30	CAE process for Head Impact simulation and improved structural design in HMI systems Sebastian Schulze - AUO Mobility Solutions Germany GmbH
10:00	Causality Analysis: Checking where it really matters Dr. Andreas Kuhn - Andata Entwicklungstechnologie GmbH et al.
10:30	Detecting Unknown and Unwanted Crash Behaviors: A Database-Driven Approach to Simulation Quality Assurance Dominik Borsotto - SIDACT GmbH et al.
11:00	Coffee Break
11:30	Achieving Model Quality and Certification Readiness with the Oasys LS-DYNA Environment Dr. Galal Mohamed, Shuang Gao - Arup
12:00	Customizable Model Quality Checks for Crash-Simulations with LS-DYNA Max Hübner - DYNAmore GmbH
12:30	The ANSA Checks Machine: A User Focused Framework for Multi Disciplinary/Solver Model Integrity Livia Emmanouela Baksiova - BETA CAE Systems S.A.
13:00	Lunch Break
Durability / Fatigue: Fatigue Simulation HV-batteries (Vibration Fatigue) Chair: Dr.-Ing. Matthias Weinert - Ford-Werke GmbH Room: Conference Room 1 – 4
14:00	Industrial Requirements; Speaker tba
14:30	Advanced Mechanical Simulation of Sheet Molding Compounds: Accounting for Process-Induced Fiber Orientation Dr. Hannes Grimm-Strele - Fraunhofer-Institut für Techno- und Wirtschaftsmathematik ITWM
15:00	Improving HV Battery Structural Robustness: Coupling Operational Loads with Swelling-Induced Stresses Lucas Crombet, Dr. Simon Erker - AVL List GmbH
15:30	Coffee Break
16:00	Enhanced Simulation of Battery Durability by Improved Loads Prediction using Smart Virtual Sensing Dr. rer. nat. Michael Hack, Xiaoting Kou, Safak Has - Siemens Industry Software GmbH
16:30	Durability of Battery Housings and Body Structures Considering Vibrations and Multiple Joint Characteristics Helmut Dannbauer - Engineering Center Steyr GmbH & Co KG
18:30	Evening Reception - Wirtshaus am See Emmerichshofen 3 63796 Kahl am Main

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Full Vehicle Simulation: Virtual Verification and Certification Chair: Bart Peeters Weem - BMW AG Room: Conference Room 1 – 4
08:30	Requirements for CAE model and Process for Virtual Testing based Vehicle Safety Assessment Dr.-Ing. Andre Eggers - BASt - German Federal Highway and Transport Research Institute
09:00	New generation of crash-tolerant structure - FLEXCRASH Christian Kurzböck - VIRTUAL VEHICLE Research GmbH
09:30	Driving Simulators as a Cornerstone of Virtual Validation Gabriele Ferrarotti - VI-grade - HBK
10:00	Coffee Break
10:30	Virtual NCAP Integration in Full Vehicle Simulation Workflows Dr.-Ing. Sami Bilgic Istoc - IPG Automotive GmbH
11:00	Thoughts on Virtual Homologation of Crashworthiness: A Software Vendor’s View Prof. Dr.-Ing. André Haufe - DYNAmore, part of Synopsys
11:30	Animator4-based Virtual Testing and Assessment tool for comprehensive NCAP Safety evaluation Suba Siva Chandran Kalimuthu - GNS mbH
12:00	Lunch Break
Occupant Safety: Meta Models for Occupant Injury Prediction Chair: Stefan Kirschbichler - VIRTUAL VEHICLE Research GmbH Room: Brüder Grimm Saal
08:30	Software Environment for ML - Meta Models supporting Occupant Safety Simulation Dr. Lars Aschenbrenner, Michael Otto - Volkswagen AG
09:00	Predicting Occupant Injury Risk from Time‑History Meta‑Models Patrick Obernosterer - Technische Universität Graz
09:25	Predictive and Generative Artificial Intelligence Empowering Occupant Safety and Injury Prediction Prof. Dr. Francisco Chinesta - Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology - ENSAM
09:50	Chasing Safer Outcomes: Exploring Metamodel Capabilities for Occupant Injury Prediction in Crash Analysis Ionut Mihnea, Dana Ioana Rat - ARRK Research & Development S.R.L.
10:15	Coffee Break
10:45	Virtual Reconstruction of Physical Crash Tests Using a Software Platform for Meta-Modeling and Design Optimization Dr. Nicholas White - Elemance, LLC et al.
11:10	Unifying Physical Test and Simulation Data: ASAM‑ODS Pipelines for AI‑Driven Occupant Injury Prediction Stefan Romainczyk - Peak Solution GmbH
11:35	Interpretable Modal‑Space‑Based Surrogate Models for Occupant Injury Prediction Dr. Masahiro Okamura - JSOL Corporation
12:00	Lunch Break
AI, ML, Big Data: How can AI Actually Help Designing a Vehicle? Chair: Dr.-Ing. Axel Hänschke - CPS Pekka Stuckert Consulting Unternehmensberatung Room: Brüder Grimm Saal
13:00	Industrial Requirements AI Supported Vehicle Design Thorsten Pohl - Stellantis; Dr.-Ing. Dirk Rensink - SEGULA Technologies Germany
13:30	AI-based Change Description and Results Exploration for Vehicle Development Dr. Daniela Steffes-lai, Prof. Dr. Jochen Garcke - Fraunhofer-Institut für Algorithmen und Wissenschaftliches Rechnen SCAI
13:55	AI meets CAE - How Structures can be Optimized in Automated Ways Tomoya Hayashi - Nature Architects, Inc.; Jan Ophey - FEV Vehicle GmbH
14:20	Agentic AI for DtM: Automated Formability and Stamping Analysis Tilman Steininger - Synera GmbH
14:45	Coffee Break
15:15	Integrating Generative AI into CAE Workflows with Simulation Data Management Marko Thiele - SCALE GmbH et al.
15:40	Machine Learning Supported Crashworthiness Designs Dr. Stefan Müller - SIDACT GmbH et al.
16:05	Autonomous Vehicle Design: Context, Intelligence, Action Dr.-Ing. Moritz Frenzel - Altair Engineering GmbH
16:30	Summary and Farewell Rainer Hoffmann - carhs gmbh

 

 

Program subject to change.