HOUSTON (Feb 4): The future of product design and industrial manufacturing will be driven almost entirely by virtual twins, as industries move toward software-defined products and AI-powered factories, according to Nvidia co-founder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang.
Unlike traditional digital twins that passively mirror physical assets for monitoring purposes, a virtual twin is a fully interactive digital environment capable of simulating real-world physics within detailed 3D models. This technology enables manufacturers to design, test and optimise products and facilities before any physical construction begins.
Speaking at 3DExperience World 2026 at the George R Brown Convention Center, Huang said the global economy is entering a phase of re-industrialisation powered by artificial intelligence. Nvidia aims to support this transformation by combining advanced simulation technology with AI to manage the increasing complexity of next-generation AI factories.
“In the past, companies designed the product first and then built the factory around it,” Huang explained. “Going forward, the factories themselves will influence what products can be designed and built. All of this will be simulated and operated inside a virtual twin.”
This shift has significant implications for industrial property planning and development, particularly in major urban and manufacturing hubs. As AI-driven manufacturing expands, demand for industrial land in Selangor, high-spec facilities, and strategically located commercial property in KL is expected to grow, especially in areas that can support advanced data, power, and logistics requirements.
Huang also highlighted the increasing convergence of semiconductors and computing systems, noting that both will play a central role in building infrastructure for intelligent manufacturing ecosystems. This mirrors global trends where smart factories, logistics hubs, and data centres are reshaping demand for modern industrial property in the Subang area, as well as nearby technology and business corridors.
The remarks follow Nvidia’s newly announced partnership with Dassault Systèmes, which aims to develop a shared industrial architecture for mission-critical AI across multiple industries. The collaboration seeks to create scalable and trustworthy industrial AI solutions by integrating virtual twins with accelerated computing.
“Together with Nvidia, we are creating industry world models that allow companies to design, simulate and operate complex systems with confidence,” said Dassault Systèmes CEO Pascal Daloz. “This establishes a new foundation for industrial AI that can support innovation across the generative economy.”
As part of the collaboration, Nvidia is adopting Dassault Systèmes’ model-based systems engineering framework to design its AI factories, beginning with the Nvidia Rubin platform. This will be integrated into the Nvidia Omniverse DSX Blueprint to support large-scale AI factory deployment.
Huang explained that the goal is to digitally simulate every aspect of factory operations — from production lines and spatial layouts to robotic movement and safety protocols — within a virtual twin environment.
“We want to see how AI factories will operate in the real world before they are built,” he said. “Robots, manufacturing sequences, assembly processes, and safety systems will all be tested virtually.”
As AI factories and smart manufacturing gain momentum globally, the trend is expected to influence local real estate markets as well. In Malaysia, this could translate into stronger demand for office space in Bukit Jalil, innovation-led industrial zones, and modern facilities near urban centres such as factory developments in Puchong, where connectivity and infrastructure support advanced manufacturing needs.
Singapore