How Chinese startups are competing in engineering simulation software

The article highlights China’s strategic push to develop its own engineering simulation software stack, focusing on computer-aided engineering (CAE), which is essential for testing product performance under real-world conditions. Historically dominated by Western companies like Dassault, Ansys, and Siemens, the CAE market in China is now opening up due to national policies aimed at reducing reliance on foreign technology and promoting domestic innovation. However, industry leaders such as Duan Zhiwei, Vice President of Beijing Internet Based Engineering Co., Ltd. (IBE), emphasize that true competitiveness depends on technological capability rather than policy protection alone. Chinese firms must deliver products that meet or exceed international standards to succeed globally. The article also discusses the evolving nature of CAE software, which was originally designed for traditional mechanical and structural engineering but now faces challenges from increasingly complex multi-physics problems in sectors like new energy, smart vehicles, and semiconductors. Legacy CAE tools are becoming outdated, prompting the integration of AI and cloud-native technologies to create smarter