Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Product innovation and customer engagement with Ferrari and Autodesk (MFG106)

Summary

• Alexandra Francois-Sensire, the business development head for product engineering and development at AWS, introduced the session, highlighting the challenges in product engineering such as performance, scalability, data friction, and global collaboration.
• AWS solutions like model-based design and engineering, digital twins, and digital threads were discussed as ways to address these challenges.
• Ferrari's Giovanni Longobardi and Mauro Coletto shared how they use AWS services for cloud operations and data science, focusing on their vehicle data platforms, connected car platform, and high-performance computing (HPC) hybrid architecture.
• Autodesk's Heather Carrick discussed how Autodesk leverages AWS for their design and manufacturing software, particularly focusing on generative design and AI-powered tools.
• The session concluded with an emphasis on the value AWS Cloud brings to product engineering and development, showcasing how Ferrari and Autodesk innovate and collaborate using AWS services.

Insights

• The integration of AWS services with product engineering processes is critical for addressing the challenges of performance, scalability, data friction, and global collaboration.
• Ferrari's use of AWS services like AWS Parallel Cluster, Amazon Aurora, and Amazon FSx for Lustre demonstrates the practical application of AWS in managing high-performance computing needs and improving computational efficiency.
• Autodesk's use of AWS for their software tools, such as Fusion and generative design, highlights the importance of a connected technology stack and the ability to handle complex, multivariable problems in the manufacturing industry.
• Generative design, as opposed to generative AI, uses deterministic equations and simulations to offer multiple mathematically accurate solutions, allowing users to understand the impact of different variables on their designs.
• The session showcased real-world applications of AWS services in the automotive industry, emphasizing the potential for increased innovation, improved customer experience, and enhanced collaboration between customers and suppliers.
• The use of AI and machine learning in product design and development is becoming increasingly prevalent, with companies like Autodesk creating tools that simplify the design process and enable rapid prototyping and iteration.
• The talk highlighted the ongoing evolution of AWS services and their role in supporting the latest advancements in product engineering, such as generative AI and augmented reality, suggesting that AWS will continue to be a key player in the future of manufacturing and design.