Realize LIVE APAC 2026: a full recap of manufacturing innovation
Realize LIVE Asia-Pacific in Bengaluru was a packed two-day experience that blended strategic direction with very practical, customer-led learning. What I liked most was how consistently the event connected the dots, between AI, simulation, digital twins, cloud, and the digital thread, so it didn’t feel like separate technology conversations. It felt like one story about how manufacturers can build resilient, high-performing enterprises across engineering, manufacturing, and service.
Event energy and scale (what stood out immediately)
This year’s momentum was clearly visible, not just in the keynote hall, but in the breakout rooms and Solutions Center conversations.
- The event featured 90+ sessions across 2 days, spanning general sessions, product keynotes, breakouts, and hands-on training.
- Digital Manufacturing breakout participation grew significantly by +60% increase and 18 Digital Manufacturing sessions delivered by the Digital Manufacturing team.
- Overall customer engagement was strong, with +500 total customers.
Keynotes: Tony Hemmelgarn and Joe Bohman
Tony Hemmelgarn (President of Siemens PLM Software) emphasized how AI, digital twins, and data are transforming engineering and manufacturing. The big message: organizations can now predict, optimize, and innovate before products are built, reducing downstream risk and enabling faster, more confident decisions. I left that keynote thinking less about “tools” and more about decision speed, how quickly teams can move when they trust their digital foundation.
Joe Bohman (Executive VP, PLM, Siemens) built on that with a focus on AI, simulation, digital twins, and cloud technologies as the drivers of industrial transformation. His point about connected digital threads really resonated, when lifecycle information flows end-to-end, teams make better decisions and product development accelerates. He also stressed the need to build resilient enterprises that can innovate, adapt, and improve productivity continuously, not just in one-off improvement programs.
SLM and aftermarket: extending transformation beyond manufacturing
The session reinforced something many manufacturers are already seeing: aftermarket is a strategic priority because it offers high margins, recurring revenue, and differentiation, but it becomes harder to scale when service operations are disconnected from engineering changes and customer context.
The discussion on Teamcenter Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) was particularly strong because it didn’t stay theoretical. It tied directly to:
- real customer use cases and how they are approaching aftermarket modernization,
- the latest SLM innovations for improving lifecycle visibility and service execution,
- and how AI can increase agility and unlock value across aftermarket business processes.
Solutions Center: where the digital thread came to life
The Solutions Center was one of the best parts of Realize LIVE because it made the event themes tangible. The newly designed Design & Simulate, Make and Manage zones were positioned as destinations for expert conversations, through live demos, fireside chats, and hands-on exploration.
What worked well is that these zones were set up around customer-centric scenarios aligned to the digital thread, rather than isolated product pods. That created a deliberately connected ecosystem where you could move naturally between inspiration, expert guidance, and peer conversations.
A few elements featured in the event at-a-glance that added to the experience:
- Industrial Metaverse explorations and demonstrations
- Customer Showcase – Ultraviolette as an example of end-to-end transformation storytelling
- Industry HQ interactions that made it easier to find the right experts quickly
Customer stories: practical examples of transformation
The AI panel highlighted how AI is evolving from a productivity aid into a strategic enabler, combining connected engineering data, automation, simulation, and digital continuity to improve decision-making, collaboration, quality, and resilience. Customer stories reinforced this impact: Bajaj showcased Opcenter MES-driven shopfloor gains, while Tata Motors, Mahindra, and GM demonstrated faster NPI, simulation-led optimization, digital twin–based agility, and stronger process quality through advanced manufacturing simulation.
Siemens Xcelerator Academy Highlights
Partner engagement was also strong: the Solutions Center hosted 22+ sponsors and partners with booths located outside the Main Stage Hall, showcasing capabilities across digital transformation strategy, cloud, AI-driven innovation, intelligent manufacturing, and PLM-centric transformations to help customers accelerate Siemens-based initiatives. In addition, the Siemens Xcelerator Academy was highlighted as a comprehensive learning and certification platform, offering on-demand and instructor-led training, structured learning paths, hands-on labs, and professional certifications across PLM, digital manufacturing, simulation, IIoT, low-code, and engineering software, to support continuous workforce upskilling and maximize value from Siemens Xcelerator investments.
Realize LIVE APAC was a strong reminder that the future belongs to manufacturers who connect lifecycle data, operational execution, and customer outcomes, so they can move faster, serve better, and continuously improve.
