Dassault Systemes said on Tuesday it has formed a strategic partnership with industrial automation technology company Omron (OMRON) to bridge the gap between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT).

Through the cooperation, the two companies will support manufacturers and equipment makers so they can design, simulate and build high-performance production systems based on an approach that integrates virtual and real environments.

By combining Dassault Systemes’ 3D UNIV+RSES and Omron’s industrial automation platform Sysmac, they will provide integrated support for the full process, from designing production systems to simulation, validation and deployment in a continuous virtual environment.

The core is the implementation of a "Virtual Twin of Production Systems". The companies stressed that it will allow businesses to test new production lines, validate robot operations and optimise logistics flows before building real facilities.

Dassault Systemes CEO Pascal Daloz (파스칼 달로즈) said, "Manufacturing is entering a new era." He added, "We are building a ‘living production system’ that evolves on its own based on AI with Omron, and it is a form in which the virtual world and reality are connected in a single learning loop." He added, "Dassault Systemes’ industrial world model converts complexity into intelligence, elevating factories beyond simple automation to the level of autonomy, redefining industrial systems from reactive to predictive and from rigid structures to flexible ones, and will open new horizons in manufacturing."