PTC, Microsoft and VW partner to develop Codebeamer generative AI co-pilot

PTC is partnering with Microsoft and Volkswagen Group to develop a generative AI co-pilot based on the PTC Codebeamer application lifecycle management (ALM) solution. The Codebeamer co-pilot will support software development in physical products by enabling software engineers to create and manage product requirements more efficiently, as well as test, validate and release them.

The development builds on Volkswagen Group’s adoption of Codebeamer to support software development across its brands and vehicle projects. PTC and Volkswagen Group partnered with Microsoft to help amplify the value of Codebeamer by embedding generative AI with Microsoft Azure AI capabilities.

“Having Microsoft Azure AI in the Codebeamer software can assist us with creating new specifications and test cases,” says Robert Kattner, Head of IT Engineering at Volkswagen Group. “It can also improve the quality of our requirements by removing duplicates and checking against existing quality standards. Furthermore, it can help our teams to import requirements references from older IT systems.

He adds: “It will drive our productivity gains by reducing the time to import, review and write requirements. In a nutshell, our engineers will do their work more efficiently.”

Kevin Wrenn, Chief Product Officer of PTC, says: “We apply generative AI to help customers solve problems and capitalise on market opportunities, like the efficient development of software-defined vehicles. Our collaboration with Volkswagen Group and Microsoft on the Codebeamer co-pilot gives us the best of both worlds: a major manufacturer in Volkswagen Group that demonstrates how these solutions apply in a real-world context; and a partner in Microsoft that’s pushing the envelope on generative AI and bringing state-of-the-art technology to the market.”

According to Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing & Mobility at Microsoft: “Tremendous opportunities for generative AI use cases exist within the manufacturing sector, so we’re thrilled to support this collaboration with PTC and Volkswagen Group. The Codebeamer co-pilot is a meaningful example of how generative AI can make a long-standing, complex process like product development simpler and more efficient.”