Ram Bhandarkar

Ram Bhandarkar has over 30 years of experience in vehicle development. As the Director of Virtual Engineering at Stellantis North America, he leads a team of CAE specialists, pioneering the transition from physical testing to digital processes. This shift has significantly reduced development time and costs while enhancing vehicle performance. Ram holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University. He is also a passionate advocate for STEM education and aims to inspire the next generation of engineers.

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Presentation

Panel discussion - Future of virtual engineering

Automotive OEMs and suppliers have been using virtual engineering approaches for product development for over a decade. Virtual engineering is expected to play a broader role in the future with the advent of new technologies such as AI and cloud infrastructure. This panel will share unique insights from leaders who are at the forefront of developing and applying virtual engineering methods at some of the world’s leading automotive companies. First, we will hear from the panelists about the current state of virtual engineering – how virtual engineering is being utilized today, what impact it is having and what challenges and opportunities it is facing. The discussion will conclude with the panelists providing an outlook into a vision for the future – what new technologies are coming on the horizon, how they will change virtual engineering processes and what impact they will have on the overall automotive product development process.