Press Release – December 19, 2025
CONTACT Software drives AI in Manufacturing at Industrial Empowerment Shanghai Innovation Conference
In the upcoming Industrial Empowerment Shanghai Innovation Conference by the Shanghai Industrial Internet Association (SIIA), CONTACT Software will contribute a keynote on the benefits of combining AI and PLM in manufacturing and give insights into PLM, IoT, MES, and AI solutions.
CONTACT Software, a leading vendor in digital transformation solutions for PLM, MES, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), will participate in the upcoming Shanghai Industrial Internet Association (SIIA) Innovation Summit held from January 8th to 10th, 2026. With the topic “Shaping the Future: AI and Manufacturing,” this event is set to attract over 5,000 industry leaders, experts, and decision-makers from critical sectors like aerospace, automotive, and energy.
On the first day of the event, Dimitri Baumtrok, Head of International Business at CONTACT Software, will address the challenges modern industry is facing in the keynote “Igniting Manufacturing Excellence with the Digital Brain”. The presentation particularly focuses on China’s profound transformation from global manufacturing experts to product innovation powerhouse. This shift intensifies challenges like global competition, sustainability, and cost pressures. It is further compounded by fragmented IT systems that prevent digital solutions from reaching their full potential.
In a unique position as the only international, non-Chinese speaker on the main stage, CONTACT Software will introduce the concept of the “Digital Brain”, an AI-powered ecosystem designed to transform these challenges into opportunities. It positions its digitalization platform CONTACT Elements, including Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), MES, project management, and IoT, as the indispensable digital backbone, elevating it from a traditional data management system to an intelligent engine for a dynamic and resilient new era of end-to-end product design and development.
To learn more about the role of AI in modern PLM in combination with the capabilities of the CONTACT Elements platform, visitors can get in touch at CONTACT’s booth. Attendees are welcome to engage in meaningful discussions with our experts, explore the critical role of AI in modern PLM, and witness live product demos showcasing the features of the modular platform. On January 10th, an additional presentation on CONTACT Elements will take place in the exhibition hall.
The Shanghai Industrial Internet Association (SIIA) is a non-profit organization jointly established in 2020 by over 300 industrial and technology enterprises, led by Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. and the Industrial Internet Innovation Center (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization. With a network of 4,897 companies as partners and 412 as members, the SIIA is a driving force behind industrial innovation in the region. Its primary goals include the digitalization of manufacturing across the greater Shanghai Area and positioning Shanghai as an attractive hub for international investors and collaborations, particularly in the sectors of IT and technology.
