(CIMdata: Ann Arbor, MI) -- Renowned product life cycle management expert Martin Eigner will deliver a keynote presentation at PLM Road Map NA 2025. This two-day event will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Tysons Corner, Virginia, on May 7 and 8. This year’s conference theme is “PLM’s Integral Role in Digital Transformation From Strategy to Execution: Elevating PLM to an Enterprise Business Solution.”

Professor Eigner pioneered the first PDM/PLM system, which was launched 40 years ago. In his keynote presentation, “Reflecting on 40 Years of PDM/PLM: Are We Where We Wanted to Be?” he will take an honest look at the current state of the industry.

In the 1990s, it was boldly asserted that PLM was not just a system but a philosophy—a solution to harmonize and manage engineering data and processes throughout the product life cycle. Now, Eigner expresses frustration in observing the fragmented landscape of PLM solutions.

According to Eigner, we are still tied to legacy systems (ERP, MES, SCM, CRM) that depend on flawed interfaces reminiscent of monolithic software technology from decades past. As digitalization demands and the emergence of new technologies such as IoT, AI, knowledge graphs, and cloud solutions continue to grow, one could question whether we are truly harnessing their full potential to optimize our products and processes sustainably through PLM.

The pivotal question remains: Can the next generation of PLM solutions meet the challenges of digital transformation with the advanced, modern software technologies available? Eigner’s presentation will shed light on where we have come from and where we need to go when considering this critical question.

Eigner is a PLM and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) expert. After graduating from the University of Karlsruhe in Germany in 1980, he assumed the role of head of PMT (process, methods, tools) at Robert Bosch GmbH. In 1985, he founded EIGNER + PARTNER AG, the world’s first PDM/PLM company. In 2003, he established EIGNER Engineering Consult, a consulting firm dedicated to optimizing engineering processes, with a particular emphasis on PLM and engineering digitalization.

From October 2003 to September 2017, Eigner was the head of the Institute for Virtual Product Engineering at the University of Kaiserslautern. He has lectured at various universities since 1984 and has authored or co-authored 15 books and numerous papers on topics such as PLM, MBSE, engineering digitalization, AI, and the industrial internet. He continues his work with EIGNER Engineering Consult.

The agenda for PLM Road Map & PDT 2025 will feature a curated blend of reports and case studies from industry experts, focusing on the interests of PLM professionals. Covering technologies, processes, and people, the conference will build on what is possible when PLM is aligned with digital transformation and show how to achieve it. The conference will provide an environment to learn, discuss, and collaboratively advance product life cycle digitalization.

In addition to the May event in North America, CIMdata and Eurostep will host PLM Road Map & PDT Europe, which will take place Nov. 5 and 6 in Paris.

For more information and to register, visit the CIMdata website: https://www.cimdata.com/en/education/plm-conferences/2025-plm-road-map-pdt-north-america.