The annual MATLAB EXPO for professionals and researchers from industry and academia will once again be held in Eindhoven on 21 May. The organisers are MathWorks Benelux, the makers of MATLAB and Simulink software for engineers and scientists. The programme has been organised around six mega trends, says managing director Marcel Stakenborg. ‘The first trend, ‘software is everywhere’, points to the fact that today’s machine manufacturers can differentiate themselves by using smart algorithms to optimise performance during the life cycle of their machines. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the second trend, plays a major role in this, in the form of machine learning and deep learning. Thirdly, these ‘machines’ are increasingly becoming autonomous systems, not only in the automotive sector but also in aviation, shipping and logistics, e.g. drones.’ The digital transformation is also high on the MATLAB EXPO agenda, in the context of Industry 4.0 and Smart Industry, and that requires – trend number 5 – cloud platforms. The final trend listed by Stakenborg is the ‘electrification of everything’. Optimising electric motors is therefore a major challenge.
Managers from key industries are welcome to join the Management Dinner. This year’s theme will be ‘AI-Driven Engineering’. The dinner, in the format of a round-table discussion, will be hosted by MathWorks and Link Magazine and moderated by an AI domain expert from industry, Albert Breemen.
MathWorks supports high-tech industry with its tools and services in responding to all these mega trends. Stakenborg: ‘In the MATLAB EXPO programme, we respond to these trends and demonstrate concrete examples from industry. Simulating system behaviour early on and setting up digital twins can save a lot on physical prototyping and maintenance. Real-time monitoring of machines in the field provides data for analyses that help make predictions about their behaviour in the future. This approach can help reduce the total cost of ownership.’ Compressor manufacturer Atlas Copco will address this topic in more detail. Start-up Lightyear is developing a car propelled by solar energy and therefore needs to optimise the energy flow between solar panels and the car’s electronics. ‘At MATLAB EXPO, Lightyear will be demonstrating how it is speeding up the development process using our tools.’ With regard to the application of AI in machine manufacturing and mechatronics, Sameer Prabhu, industry marketing director at MathWorks, will reveal how AI is transforming the global industry in his keynote speech. Stakenborg: ‘It’s all about insights. There is always a demand for experts in the field and thanks to our tools, they can start using AI without having to be software experts. Those tools enable them to implement and integrate AI applications into the entire system end-to-end.’ As in previous years, managers from key industries are welcome to join the Management Dinner. This year’s theme will be ‘AI-Driven Engineering’. The dinner, in the format of a round-table discussion, will be hosted by MathWorks and Link Magazine and moderated by an AI domain expert from industry, Albert Breemen.
New this year will be the ‘Women in Tech’ session during the lunch break. ‘As a local host, I really embrace this initiative, which started at MathWorks in the US,’ says Giorgia Zucchelli, who will be responsible for the session in Eindhoven. She studied electrical engineering in Bologna (It) and, after obtaining her PhD, she came to the Netherlands to work for Philips Research and NXP. For the past ten years, she has been working as a product marketer at MathWorks Benelux. ‘We want to provide female delegates and presenters with a networking environment for like-minded women, to meet, share knowledge and collaborate with female industry peers. From my business travels, during which I have met many engineers around the globe, I have learned that the Netherlands offers a good climate for female engineers. However, there remains scope to increase the proportion of women in technology.’ During the session, delegates will hear from technical industry experts about their work and the use of MATLAB and Simulink. MathWorks is aiming for ten to twenty participants at this ‘women only’ event. They can sign up for this free session when they register for MATLAB EXPO. Zucchelli summarises: ‘I encourage all female delegates to sign up for this first ‘Women in Tech’ session.’
