Altair has introduced a third category to the 2017 Altair Enlighten Award, the award program aimed specifically at highlighting achievements in vehicle lightweighting. The new Enabling Technology category is specific to products that make innovation in full vehicles, automotive modules, systems and components possible, such as fasteners, adhesives, materials, processes, etc.“Enabling technologies are the fundamental building blocks of today’s great automobiles, in many cases directly contributing to the feasibility of the lightweight innovations developed by OEMs and suppliers,” said Richard Yen, Senior Vice President, Automotive and Global Markets Team at Altair. “By opening a third category for these technologies, we are providing the companies that are creating them the platform they deserve to share their work and be recognized as leaders in lightweight design.”

The Altair Enlighten Award is presented in partnership with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and is proud to work with media partners SAE International and Automobil Industrie. The award honors companies for innovative examples of lightweighting in full vehicles, modules and now in enabling technology categories. The winners will be announced during the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI on July 31st, 2017. The award is held in collaboration with CAR, media partners SAE International and media sponsor Automobil Industrie.

“Without the assistance of enabling technologies, many of the benefits of mixed-material solutions would be limited,” according to Jay Baron, President and CEO at CAR. “Expanding the award categories to recognize the significant contribution of these technologies was a natural next step allowing many more suppliers to demonstrate their solutions.”