In 1981, a team of engineers from Dassault Aviation started to to design products in three dimensions. Their work was so successful, a decision was made to spin off a new company, and thus Dassault Systèmes was born. In the 40 years since, the company has grown exponentially; check out a history of key milestones here.

In the ensuing decades, the initial product for 3D design, CATIA, was joined by a wide range of solutions that have now helped thousands of manufacturers disrupt how their products are designed and made, and to rethink their entire development and production methods. And last February, we announced our new focus: to apply what we’ve learned from helping manufacturing industries to innovative non-organic products to transform the organic world via virtual twins of humans.

We are proud that our solutions fuel sustainable innovation in all industries: almost everything around us is enabled in some way by Dassault Systèmes. Working closely with customers and partners for the past 40 years, we have spearheaded many technology breakthroughs that have had a profound impact on society and on people’s lives.

2021 will be a year to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and reflect back at how we’ve become a purpose-driven company that draws on various branches of science – mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, geology – to break down silos of knowledge and find the most innovative, sustainable solutions for the future. As we begin to mark this milestone, we invite you to watch a short video that explores our legacy of these past decades.