Shannon McGarry
Discover the top Autodesk Fusion product development sessions at AU 2026 covering AI, PLM, product design, optimization, digital transformation, and connected workflows.
Products are becoming more complex, customer expectations are rising, and teams are being asked to deliver faster with fewer resources. At the same time, AI, connected workflows, and digital transformation are creating entirely new opportunities to rethink how products are designed, engineered, manufactured, and managed.
If you’re attending Autodesk University 2026, these Fusion-focused sessions offer valuable insights into every stage of the product lifecycle, from conceptual design and AI-assisted ideation to PLM, optimization, manufacturing, and product strategy.
Whether you’re joining in person or attending online when available, there are valuable sessions around product development that are worth adding to your AU schedule.
Design. Optimize. Connect. Build Smarter Products with Autodesk Fusion
Tuesday, September 15 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM PDT
Product development is more than creating geometry. It involves designing for manufacturability, validating performance, and continuously improving products over time.
This hands-on lab follows the development of a smart desk lamp through multiple stages of the product lifecycle. Attendees will learn how Autodesk Fusion supports designing manufacturable components, optimizing performance through analysis, and extending product functionality through electronics integration.
Why attend
- Learn a practical concept-to-product workflow
- Explore design, optimization, and electronics in a single session
- Understand how connected workflows improve product development outcomes
- Gain hands-on experience using Fusion across multiple disciplines
Beyond the BOM: Using PLM to Drive Modern Product Management
Many organizations view PLM as a tool for managing engineering data and bills of materials. Leading companies are using it for much more.
This session explores how PLM can become the operational backbone for product management, connecting engineering, operations, and business decisions across the product lifecycle.
Why attend
- Learn how PLM supports broader product management workflows
- Improve visibility across teams and systems
- Explore strategies for managing changes and lifecycle processes
- Understand what product management maturity looks like in modern organizations
Concept-to-Consumer in 60 Minutes: Rapid Conceptual Design for Consumer Products with Autodesk Fusion and Vizcom
Consumer product teams are increasingly looking for ways to validate concepts earlier while reducing development cycles.
This session demonstrates how Fusion and Vizcom work together to support rapid conceptual design, AI-powered ideation, visualization, rendering exploration, and design communication.
Why attend
- See how AI is speeding up conceptual product development
- Learn practical Fusion-Vizcom workflows
- Explore rapid CMF and product variation techniques
- Discover methods for reducing rework before engineering begins
Design Like a Rocket Scientist: Generative Design Versus Topology Optimization in Autodesk Fusion
Generative design and topology optimization are often discussed together, but they solve different challenges.
Using real-world aerospace examples from Elara Aerospace, this session explores how both approaches can help teams reduce weight, improve strength, and optimize performance while maintaining manufacturability requirements.
Why attend
- Understand when to use generative design versus topology optimization
- Learn optimization best practices
- Improve performance while reducing material usage
- Apply advanced engineering methodologies to future projects
Fusion + Naya: End-to-End Workflow for Physical Products
As AI continues to mature, product teams are increasingly evaluating which activities should be automated and which should remain human-driven.
This session explores how Fusion and Naya support connected workflows that allow teams to focus less on repetitive tasks and more on creativity, decision-making, and innovation.
Why attend
- Learn where AI creates meaningful value in product development
- Explore end-to-end product design workflows
- Understand the future of AI-powered product teams
- Build a practical framework for AI adoption
Your Bottlenecks Are Showing: 10 Lessons from Thousands of Product Design and Development Companies
Some organizations consistently bring products to market faster than their competitors. Others struggle with delays, misalignment, and costly rework.
This fast-paced session distills lessons learned from thousands of product design and engineering organizations, revealing common patterns that separate high-performing teams from everyone else.
Why attend
- Learn common causes of product development delays
- Discover proven strategies from successful organizations
- Improve alignment between teams
- Create a practical action plan for accelerating delivery
Autodesk Product Lifecycle Management Hands-On Test Drive
If you’re evaluating PLM or trying to improve how your organization manages product information, this workshop offers a hands-on introduction to Autodesk Fusion Manage and modern lifecycle management processes.
Why attend
- Experience Autodesk PLM firsthand
- Learn how connected product data improves collaboration
- Explore standardized workflows and process management
- Network with customers facing similar business challenges
Prompting for Fusion: AI Basics for Autodesk Assistant in Fusion
AI is quickly becoming part of daily engineering workflows. This introductory session teaches practical prompting techniques that can help Fusion users accelerate scripting, automation, and add-in development.
Why attend
- Learn prompt engineering fundamentals
- Explore AI-assisted coding workflows
- Improve productivity when using Fusion APIs
- Understand best practices for reviewing AI-generated outputs
AI-Connected Workflows: Fusion, Claude, and MCP 101
AI is becoming increasingly connected to engineering tools, business systems, and organizational knowledge.
This introductory session explores how Fusion, Claude, and MCP (Model Context Protocol) can work together to support automation, documentation, workflow generation, and smarter decision-making.
Why attend
- Understand emerging AI-connected workflows
- Learn foundational MCP concepts
- Explore opportunities for automation and productivity gains
- See real-world examples of AI-assisted engineering processes
From Prompt to Production: Designing Furniture at the Speed of AI with Autodesk Fusion
This session demonstrates how AI-assisted design, CAD, CAM, manufacturing operations, and PLM can work together in a connected product development environment.
Following a furniture manufacturing workflow, attendees will see how prompts can accelerate model creation while maintaining engineering rigor and manufacturing readiness.
Why attend
- Learn how AI can accelerate product development workflows
- Connect design, manufacturing, and operations
- Understand how unified data environments reduce errors
- Explore the future of model-based manufacturing
Build your product development learning path at AU 2026
From AI-assisted ideation and product optimization to PLM, digital transformation, and connected manufacturing, Autodesk University 2026 offers a unique opportunity to explore the technologies shaping the future of product development.
The organizations that build better products aren’t just adopting new tools. They’re creating more connected workflows, making smarter decisions earlier, and embracing new ways of working. These AU sessions show exactly how they’re doing it.
🔍 View AU 2026 session catalog – Browse the full catalog and start planning your personalized experience.
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