Conference Set for June 9-10 in Novi, Michigan

Cambridge, MA, May 22, 2003 – Daratech, Inc. announces that Philip R. Martens, Ford Motor Company’s Vice President of Product Creation for North America, will kick off daratechiDPS AUTO2003: Intelligent Digital Prototyping Strategies for Auto and Off-Highway, taking place June 9-10 at the Hilton Novi Hotel in Novi, Michigan.

Philip Martens will present "Making the Elephant Dance: The Transformation of Ford's North American Product Development Operations." Also speaking in the Keynote session will be Bill Knapp of General Motors describing "HUMMER H2: Design Freeze to Production in 16 Months," and Tim Culbertson of DaimlerChrysler sharing "Zero-to-Hero in 500 Days: The Dodge NASCAR Winston Cup Story."

Now in its third year, daratechiDPS AUTO2003: Intelligent Digital Prototyping Strategies for Auto and Off-Highway will focus on how the world’s leading executives in automotive and off-highway are utilizing digital simulation and modifying their processes to achieve their cost, schedule and quality objectives for product development.

Issues to be addressed during the conference include:
- Managing the tradeoffs between digital and physical prototyping
- Changing processes to speed product development, enhance quality and reduce costs
- Overcoming cultural resistance to change
- Digitally simulating mechatronics/control systems for X-by-wire
- Integrating disparate systems and disciplines
- Resolving OEM-Supplier obstacles to integration of digital simulation tools/processes.

For additional information and to register, visit the conference website at www.daratech.com/idpsauto2003/, or call Tom Greaves at +1.617.354.2339 ext. 3141.