Shirin Hameed, CMO, DEP, Redefining the Future of CAE with AI-Driven Engineering
In an industry racing toward electrification, autonomy, lightweighting and sustainability, simulation-led development has become more critical than ever. At the forefront of this transformation is Shirin Hameed, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Detroit Engineered Products (DEP), who believes that Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) has evolved from a support function to the backbone of modern product development. In this exclusive interaction, she shares how AI-enabled CAE is reshaping engineering workflows, the role of DEP MeshWorks in accelerating innovation, and how India is emerging as both a global delivery powerhouse and a rapidly growing CAE market. From sustainability to future technological game-changers, Shirin outlines why the next decade will be the most dynamic era for simulation.
How do you see the role of CAE evolving in today’s automotive industry ?
Over the past few years, CAE has shifted from a specialist function to a central pillar of automotive development. What’s interesting now is how AI is reshaping that shift. For EVs, lightweight structures, and autonomous platforms, the number of decisions engineers must make early in the process is enormous. AI-assisted CAE allows them to navigate that complexity with far more clarity. Instead of waiting for physical builds or late-stage tests, teams can now predict performance, evaluate trade-offs, and validate ideas much earlier. The result is a more confident and efficient development cycle. You see programs moving faster, teams taking bolder design decisions, and innovation happening with fewer constraints. In many ways, CAE, strengthened by AI, is becoming the backbone of how modern automotive products come to life.
MeshWorks has been a significant innovation. How has it transformed product development processes for your clients ?
DEP MeshWorks brought a very different level of speed and flexibility into engineering environments. Traditionally, large model changes or design studies required a long turnaround often involving days of re-meshing, remodeling, and updating. With MeshWorks, especially with its AI-assisted features, engineers can perform those same tasks almost instantly. MeshWorks can help automate mundane repetitive CAE tasks, saving a lot of time as well. These are important not just because it saves time, but because it changes behavior. When engineers know they can modify, morph, and explore many alternatives quickly, they start experimenting more. They take more design paths, validate more ideas, and uncover better solutions early. For many of our customers, this has created a shift in mindset: simulation is no longer a bottleneck but a source of agility. Across multiple OEMs, we’ve seen shorter development loops, cleaner handshakes between design and CAE teams, and stronger confidence going into prototype builds. MeshWorks has become a tool that allows engineers to think freely while still delivering with discipline.
Technology adoption often comes with a learning curve. How does DEP support teams in using your CAE tools effectively ?
We understand that new technology only works when people feel confident using it, so we stay close to our customers throughout the adoption process. We begin by understanding how each team works, then support them directly on their own project models. Our approach is very hands-on. We train engineers, guide them through the early stages, and stay available for quick support as they build comfort. Over time, this steady handholding helps teams use advanced features naturally and without hesitation. That said, we have a lot of confidence in DEP MeshWorks itself. The platform is easy to use, the GUI is intuitive, and that simplicity makes adoption much faster. Our goal is straightforward, to make the transition smooth and to ensure customers see real value as quickly as possible.
Sustainability and efficiency are central to automotive design. How can CAE contribute to that effort ?
CAE enables teams to make responsible design choices early. By simulating performance upfront, engineers reduce weight, cut material use, and improve thermal and aerodynamic efficiency without multiple physical prototypes. It also minimizes waste, with fewer builds, fewer late fixes, and more predictable outcomes. As efficiency standards rise, CAE helps strengthen battery range, structural durability, and energy usage. Sustainable vehicles begin with sustainable engineering decisions, and CAE empowers exactly that.
India’s role within DEP’s global operations
India has always been one of our strongest foundations. The engineering talent here is highly skilled, adaptable, and capable of supporting complex global programs. Our India teams contribute to major projects across North America, Europe, and Asia with remarkable depth and technical maturity. What strengthens India’s role even further is that the entire DEP MeshWorks software team is based here. Every line of code, feature, and enhancement is developed in India, which gives the platform a proud “Made in India” identity while serving companies and industries across the globe. At the same time, the Indian market itself is moving rapidly toward simulation-led development. So India functions both as a global delivery powerhouse and as a fast-growing market that aligns closely with our technology roadmap. That combination makes it central to our long-term strategy.
What key trends or game-changers do you see for CAE in the next decade, and how is DEP preparing ?
The next decade will be shaped by deeper intelligence in engineering and increasing automation across every industry that relies on complex product development. AI will become a natural companion for CAE, accelerating model creation, learning from past simulations, and removing repetitive or manual steps across sectors like aerospace, industrial machinery, consumer products, energy systems, and mobility. As products become more integrated, simulation environments will need to connect design, CAE, materials, controls, manufacturing, and even field data into a more unified engineering cycle. Companies everywhere are pushing for faster iterations, higher accuracy, and more predictive insight, and CAE must rise to meet those expectations. At DEP, we are investing in advanced automation, morphological modeling, rapid parameterization, and AI-assisted engineering so that teams in any domain can innovate faster and with greater confidence. We are working closely with customers across industries to ensure our tools grow with their product strategies. CAE is entering its most dynamic and collaborative era, and we intend to stay ahead of that curve.