ANN ARBOR, Mich. - eTradeWire -- CIMdata, Inc., and Håkan Kårdén AB announce the keynote lineup for the highly anticipated PLM Road Map & PDT 2026 North America conference. The event will take place at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Virginia, USA, on May 6th and 7th. The theme is "AI in PLM: A Disruptive Opportunity and Challenge."

The landscape of engineering is shifting. From the integration of certifiable AI to the transformation of defense acquisition, the "Next Era" of Product Lifecycle Management is no longer a distant vision; it is being built today by the world's most complex organizations.

The Keynote Lineup

Artificial Intelligence: From Disruptive Challenge to Strategic Advantage
Vishwa Uddanwadiker | Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, The Boeing Company
Boeing is embedding AI across products, production, and support. Vishwa Uddanwadiker will present the breadth of AI at Boeing by showcasing real-world applications, from AI-driven auto-taxi to Safe Runway hazard detection to computer vision tools for part verification and factory defect detection. Learn how Boeing will continue to embed AI across products, production, and support while prioritizing system-level safety assurance through rigorous verification and validation, collaboration with regulators, meaningful human oversight, and iterative validation in real operational conditions to ensure explainable, certifiable, and dependable AI.

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Engineering at the Speed of Mission: The Next Era of Defense Systems
Daniel Hettema | Director of DEM&S, Office of the Under Secretary of War Research and Engineering

To maintain military superiority, the Defense Acquisition System must be fundamentally transformed. Daniel Hettema will outline a strategic vision for a modern, agile framework capable of delivering operational capabilities with "continuous acceleration." The proposed solution advocates for leveraging a Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, digital threads, and SysML v2. The systems engineering community is critical for driving the department's digital transformation by prioritizing speed, integration, and mission-focused outcomes to shape future strategy and ensure the rapid delivery of solutions to the warfighter.

Strategic PLM Implementation: How to Avoid the Typical Ten Mistakes
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Eigner | Eigner Engineering Consult

Project failure is rarely about software; it's about a lack of strategic alignment and organizational readiness. Drawing from decades of industry leadership, Dr. Martin Eigner will detail why you must prioritize cultural change, acceptance management, and process integration over technical features. Discover how to avoid "digitizing chaos" by building a true Single Source of Truth across CRM, ALM, ERP, and MES.

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NASA's Approach to AI: All that Glitters is Not Gold
Terry Hill | Digital Engineering Program Manager, NASA HQ's Office of Chief Engineer

In an environment of flat budgets, how do you practically deploy digital twins, machine learning, and AI? NASA veteran Terry Hill will share the agency's strategic vision for its digital engineering program, providing a grounded look at advanced digital engineering capabilities and the foundational elements necessary to reduce costs and enable the future of space exploration.

This year's agenda is designed to move beyond the hype and focus on the strategic imperatives of digital engineering and AI. Whether you are focused on organizational change, machine-interpretable standards, or factory floor optimization, these sessions offer a masterclass in modern PLM.

For more information on PLM Road Map & PDT North America 2026, please visit: https://www.cimdata.com/en/education/plm-conferences/2026-plm-road-map-pdt-north-america.