Company Supports Next Generation of Mechanical Engineers as They Set the World Standard Among Medal-Winner Peers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc, (NASDAQ: ADSK), has announced the winners of the Mechanical Engineering Design (MED) competition at WorldSkills Calgary 2009. The 40th annual WorldSkills competition hosted more than 900 participants, ages 17-22, striving for worldwide recognition of excellence in their respective fields. During the four days of competition, the students put their creativity and passion into action through design, by tackling real-world design problems using the latest industry software.

The winners were selected by a panel of 22 experts from around the world. The medal winners of the competition include:

    --  Gold: Fernando Luiz, Brazil
    --  Silver: Andre Reusser, Switzerland
    --  Bronze: Ricardo Nogueira, Portugal
    --  Bronze: Bob Kramer, Netherlands

Autodesk partnered with WorldSkills Calgary 2009 as a Platinum Sponsor of the event and the Presenting Sponsor of the MED competition. As part of its sponsorship, Autodesk provided Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Maya and AutoCAD software for use in multiple skills contests by the competitors and event organizers. Autodesk Inventor was the exclusive software used by all competitors in the MED competition. The software was donated to secondary schools across Canada following the event.

"It was astonishing to watch students demonstrate their talent at WorldSkills Calgary 2009," said Joe Astroth, PhD, Autodesk vice president, Learning and Education. "As a sponsor of this educational event, Autodesk is dedicated to preparing the next generation of designers as they gain the technical expertise they need to be successful in the global workplace."

Each of the MED medal winners received a bike from Marin Bikes, a leading manufacturer of mountain bikes based in Marin County, California. Marin Bikes uses Autodesk Inventor software to streamline its product development process and create new products in less time with digital prototyping, much like the students' projects at WorldSkills International.

Autodesk supports a range of partnerships and sponsorships with education organizations such as WorldSkills. Autodesk also hosts the Autodesk Education Community where students and teachers can download - for free* - the full 2010 releases of 25 Autodesk titles, access training materials, search for internships and jobs and share designs with their peers. Since its launch in 2006, the Education Community has grown to more than 775,000 members, representing over 19,000 schools in 139 countries.

To learn more about how Autodesk is bridging the gap between industry and education through partnerships with organizations such as WorldSkills, watch a video as Astroth highlights the need to engage, educate and inspire the next generation: http://wsc2009.worldskills.tv/Video/621/Software-Softies.

Autodesk Education Initiatives

Autodesk supports students and educators by providing design software, innovative programs and other resources designed to inspire the next generation of professionals. By supporting educators to advance design education and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, Autodesk is helping prepare students for future academic and career success. Autodesk supports schools and institutions of higher learning worldwide through substantial discounts, subscriptions, grant programs, training, curriculum development and community resources. For more information about Autodesk education programs and solutions, visit autodesk.com/education.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies - as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects - use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies download of the software. The software is for personal use for education purposes and is not intended for classroom or lab use.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor and Maya are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. (C) 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Contact:  Jennifer Ha 415-547-2435
    Email:    jennifer.ha@autodesk.com

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