Autodesk University (AU) 2025, held in Nashville, Tennessee, placed a spotlight on the challenges and opportunities shaping the product design and manufacturing (PD&M) sector. Labor shortages, supply chain disruption, and increasing demand continue to pressure manufacturers worldwide.
Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost during his keynote. Image source Autodesk.
Autodesk President and CEO Andrew Anagnost set the tone in his keynote: “We live in consequential times, caught between scarcity and unlimited possibility. Labor shortages, strained supply chains, and rising demand are challenging industries across the globe. But our mission is to unlock capacity and create opportunities… all achieved with far fewer resources than today.”
For manufacturing professionals, the message was clear: incremental improvements are no longer enough. Autodesk positioned Fusion, its industry cloud for product design and manufacturing, as central to a strategy built on connected data, automation, and AI-assisted workflows.
Fusion is intended to connect design, engineering, and production through a continuous data thread — reducing handoffs and keeping teams aligned from concept to manufacturing.
Recent updates include:
SwissDrones leverages Autodesk Fusion for design, production, and digital twin management. Image source SwissDrones.
Autodesk pointed to customer examples such as SwissDrones, which used Fusion to speed the development of twin-rotor UAVs. By working in a cloud environment, the company reports it was able to adapt to new requirements, reduce waste, and accelerate development timelines.
Artificial intelligence was a recurring theme at AU 2025, and for manufacturing the focus was on how neural CAD foundation models could change product development. These AI systems are trained to understand geometry and engineering systems directly, moving beyond traditional parametric modeling.
Autodesk said that neural CAD can generate editable designs from a text prompt, helping teams move from early concepts to production-ready geometry. Mike Haley, who leads Autodesk Research’s Machine Intelligence group, described the goal as enabling “explorative interactions—spontaneous design generation, connected to real-world constraints, and usable in downstream workflows.”
For manufacturers, the most immediate applications include faster concept iteration, quicker feasibility checks, and smoother prototyping. Autodesk noted that existing AI features such as AutoConstrain in Fusion are already reducing repetitive work by automatically applying sketch constraints, a task that can otherwise consume significant engineering time.
Raji Arasu, Autodesk’s CTO, emphasized that AI adoption must remain grounded in trust and transparency: “We’re not just building tools—we’re building trust in how those tools think. That means being transparent, grounded in real data, and always keeping human designers in the loop.”
Another theme at AU 2025 was the importance of data continuity. For manufacturers, that means keeping information consistent across design, engineering, and production — reducing the risk of errors or rework.
Autodesk emphasized updates that aim to strengthen this continuity:
These capabilities are meant to support a more connected product development process, from initial design through to production. While the technology is still evolving, the direction is clear: manufacturers are being encouraged to move toward integrated, data-driven workflows that can adapt quickly to changing market demands.
Bill of materials improvements that sync changes across teams. Image source Autodesk.
The Design & Make Awards at AU 2025 highlighted how manufacturers are applying digital tools to accelerate design and production. Three projects stood out:
One of Last Energy’s modular nuclear power plants under construction. Image source Last Energy.
Other honorees included Rokion, which streamlines design cycles for electric industrial vehicles using Inventor and AutoCAD, and DYD in China, whose work on a Volkswagen EV factory used simulation and BIM tools to reduce annual emissions by nearly 20,000 tons.
Together, these projects highlight a common direction: manufacturers are leaning on digital platforms to speed prototyping, improve efficiency, and deliver more sustainable outcomes.
Sustainability was a recurring theme in the manufacturing sessions at AU 2025, reflected both in Autodesk’s announcements and in customer case studies. Companies are looking for ways to reduce waste, cut energy use, and shorten development cycles — goals that increasingly overlap with digital transformation.
Examples from the Design & Make Awards reinforced this trend. Fellten’s conversion of legacy cars into electric vehicles extends the lifespan of classic designs while lowering emissions. Last Energy’s modular nuclear plants aim to deliver low-carbon energy on faster timelines. DYD’s design of Volkswagen’s new EV factory showed how simulation and digital planning can contribute to significant annual carbon reductions.
While the approaches differ, the message is consistent: manufacturers are under pressure to balance innovation with environmental responsibility. Digital tools are not a silver bullet, but they are becoming central to how companies pursue both efficiency and sustainability in product development and production.
The announcements at AU 2025 outlined an ambitious agenda for manufacturing, but significant hurdles remain. Shortages of skilled labor, complex global supply chains, and the need to build trust in AI all present barriers to rapid adoption.
Looking ahead, Autodesk says it will continue to develop:
The pace of AI development may be rapid, but its impact will ultimately depend on how quickly manufacturers adapt their processes and reskill their teams.
Autodesk University 2025 illustrated that the product design and manufacturing sector is navigating a period of rapid change. Pressures from labor shortages, supply chain disruption, and sustainability goals are forcing firms to rethink established practices. Incremental gains are no longer enough; connected, AI-assisted workflows are becoming a central part of the discussion.
Through announcements around Fusion, neural CAD, and automation tools, Autodesk outlined its vision of a manufacturing industry cloud. Case studies from the Design & Make Awards showed how firms are already experimenting with these approaches, from electrifying classic cars to modularizing nuclear energy and streamlining EV factory design.
The next challenge lies with adoption. Manufacturers will need to determine how these tools fit into their processes, how to build trust in AI-assisted design, and how to reskill teams for new workflows. Firms that align tools with process and invest in skills will be best placed to cut waste, accelerate development, and respond to fast-changing markets.
###
Searching for more information about Product Design & Manufacturing?
Click here!