Shannon McGarry
Explore the top partner-led Autodesk Fusion sessions at AU 2026 featuring Naya, Vizcom, and Avnet as they talk about all things related to AI, product development, automation, and connected workflows.
Product development is increasingly connected. Designers, engineers, manufacturers, and product teams are no longer working in isolated systems. AI, automation, supply chain intelligence, and collaborative workflows are helping organizations make smarter decisions earlier and move from concept to production with greater confidence.
At Autodesk University 2026, several partner-led sessions showcase how Autodesk Fusion works alongside innovative partners to help teams improve ideation, product management, engineering, sourcing, manufacturing, and communication workflows.
Whether you’re attending in Las Vegas or joining online when available, these sessions offer a look at how leading organizations are building modern product development processes.
Fusion + Naya: End-to-End Workflow for Physical Products
As AI becomes more integrated into product development, teams are asking an important question: which activities should be automated, and which should remain human-driven?
This session explores how Fusion and Naya work together to create connected workflows that reduce repetitive tasks while preserving the creative judgment and intuition that drive great products. You’ll see how the two platforms support product development from concept through manufacturing.
Why attend:
- Learn practical approaches to AI adoption
- Understand what should and should not be automated
- Explore connected product development workflows
- Discover how AI can free designers to focus on high-value work
From Design to Reality: How Avnet’s AI Tools Are Making Better Engineering Decisions Earlier
Many design decisions are made before engineering teams have visibility into sourcing constraints, pricing, or component availability.
In this session, Avnet and Autodesk demonstrate how AI-powered engineering workflows combined with component intelligence can help teams evaluate manufacturability, availability, lifecycle status, and sourcing tradeoffs much earlier in the development process.
Why attend:
- Reduce redesigns caused by sourcing issues
- Understand BOM optimization strategies
- Learn how to mitigate supply chain risk
- Improve collaboration between engineering and procurement
From AI Concept to Product Development: Partner Innovation in Autodesk Fusion
AI is changing how products are imagined, evaluated, and developed.
This panel brings together leaders from Vizcom, Avnet, and Naya Studio to explore how their integrations with Fusion are helping teams improve conceptual design, visualization, supply chain planning, cost analysis, sustainability evaluation, and product communication.
Why attend:
- Learn how organizations are implementing AI today
- Discover emerging Fusion partner workflows
- Explore practical use cases for automation
- Hear directly from technology innovators shaping the future of product development
Concept-to-Consumer in 60 Minutes: Rapid Conceptual Design for Consumer Products with Autodesk Fusion and Vizcom
Consumer product teams need to validate ideas quickly without slowing down engineering or manufacturing.
In this session, we’ll share how Fusion and Vizcom work together to shorten conceptual design cycles through AI-powered ideation, photoreal visualization, rapid CMF exploration, and design storytelling.
You’ll see how validated concepts can flow into downstream workflows while maintaining traceability and reducing rework.
Why attend:
- Explore AI-driven industrial design workflows
- Accelerate concept development and visualization
- Learn practical Fusion-Vizcom integration patterns
- Improve communication across product teams
Design. Optimize. Connect. Build Smarter Products with Autodesk Fusion
Product development doesn’t stop at design. Successful teams continuously optimize products, improve performance, and extend functionality over time.
Using a smart desk lamp as an example, this hands-on lab follows a product through multiple stages of the lifecycle, including component design, optimization, analysis, and electronics integration.
Why attend:
- Gain hands-on Fusion experience
- Learn how to design for manufacturability
- Explore product optimization techniques
- Discover how electronics integration can create smarter products
Inside the Factory Experience: How We Design Hands-On Manufacturing for AU
The Factory Experience is one of AU’s most engaging hands-on attractions, giving attendees the opportunity to build a physical electronic product.
This panel brings together Autodesk and industry partners to discuss the coordination required across design, manufacturing, logistics, and delivery to bring the experience to life.
Why attend:
- Learn how large-scale manufacturing experiences are developed
- Explore tradeoffs between prototyping and production
- Understand cross-company collaboration strategies
- Gain real-world insight into designing scalable manufacturing programs
Why these sessions matter
Across all six sessions, a common theme emerges: the future of product development is not just about creating better designs. It’s about creating better decisions.
From AI-assisted ideation and supply chain intelligence to lifecycle management, automation, and manufacturing readiness, Autodesk’s partner ecosystem is helping Fusion users build more connected workflows that reduce friction and improve outcomes throughout the product lifecycle.
If you’re attending Autodesk University 2026 in person, these sessions provide opportunities to learn directly from Autodesk specialists, technology partners, and industry practitioners. If virtual attendance is available for a session, consider joining online to bring valuable insights back to your team.
🔎 View AU 2026 session catalog – Browse the full catalog and start planning your personalized experience.
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