The ASSESS Initiative

Leading the transformation of engineering simulation

What is ASSESS?

Launched in 2015, the ASSESS (Analysis, Simulation, and Systems Engineering Software Strategies) Initiative was created in response to the growing recognition that simulation has massive untapped potential to make a business impact— limited not by technology, but by adoption barriers, executive sponsorship, organisational silos, and fragmented strategies.

ASSESS is a think tank that brings together thought leaders and visionaries from industry, government, and academia to address challenges and shape the future of engineering simulation.

Today, ASSESS consists of over 100 active members, including industry executives, solution providers, consultants, and academics. At its core, ASSESS is about creating the future of simulation — a future where simulation is no longer a specialism limited to a few experts, but a strategic capability utilised broadly throughout the engineering lifecycle to make a greater business impact.

Download the ASSESS Overview.

The Need for ASSESS

There is more pressure than ever on companies to innovate, develop, and get new products to market faster, along with higher reliability and sustainability expectations. Digital transformation is playing a critical role in helping companies become more competitive and stay ahead. However, in industry, a digital transformation strategy that does not include engineering simulation is an incomplete strategy: It means the business impact of simulation remains largely unrealised. As products and systems grow more complex and integrated, ensuring that engineering simulation remains at the forefront of innovation, meeting challenges, and influencing business decisions has never been more critical.

Since becoming part of NAFEMS in 2022, ASSESS has expanded its influence and sharpened its mission:

To advocate for the widespread democratization, integration, and business impact of simulation.

To connect industry leaders, tool providers, and academic researchers to shape the path forward.

To influence policy, standards, and strategic direction for simulation in the digital engineering era, including providing a common definition of a Digital Twin and Digital Thread.

Why Be Part of ASSESS?

For the thought-leading' engineering executive, software provider or academic researcher, the ASSESS community provides a unique platform to: | Collaborate across industries to shape the future direction of simulation.

Access and contribute to themes on current key topics: digital twins, democratisation, credibility, integration, certification, and business.
Influence change by contributing to business impact projects related to the themes in growing areas.
Engage with other leaders confronting the same adoption, scale, and integration challenges.

Becoming part of ASSESS means aligning with a movement that's transforming simulation into a core pillar of innovation and business value.

The Impact of ASSESS To Date

Since its inception, ASSESS has made a significant impact across the engineering simulation landscape, including:

Multiple published position papers and strategy documents bringing clarity and direction in key areas like democratisation, simulation governance, and digital twin integration.
Strong alignment with government and academic stakeholders, influencing research priorities and public-private collaboration.
Active working groups that deliver practical guidance, insights and projects.
Summit working session report-outs highlighting the need for common metadata standards to support AI/ML, skill-set development for selling the value of simulation to executives, AI benchmark studies, an appropriateness and risk assessment index, and democratisation playbooks–all now defined projects to be carried forward by the initiative.