Flagship global ecosystem event highlights AI in engineering workflows, broader AEC and manufacturing capabilities, and deeper customer and partner collaboration.

GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At ZWorld 2026, ZWSOFT outlined the next stage of its technology and global ecosystem strategy, focusing on bringing AI into professional engineering workflows, expanding around a stronger CAD foundation, and working more closely with customers and partners to turn technology into practical industry value.

Held from September 15 to 17 in Guangzhou under the theme "Design the Future. Together.", ZWorld is ZWSOFT's flagship global ecosystem event, bringing together customers, partners, industry experts, and ZWSOFT teams from around the world.

Across three days of technology discussions, customer stories, product showcases, and partner exchanges, three themes stood out: AI is moving closer to real engineering work; the workflows around CAD are becoming broader and more connected; and ecosystem capability matters more as customer needs grow more specialized.

AI Moves to Real Engineering Workflow

AI was a central topic at ZWorld 2026, but the discussion went beyond adding isolated AI features to existing software.

In his opening keynote, ZWSOFT CEO Mason Liu shared the company's perspectives and exploration around AI + CAD. ZWSOFT also presented new AI developments around ZW3D, ZWCAD, the ZWSOFT CAx AI Agent Platform, and a strategic partnership with Tencent Cloud.

The goal is to explore how AI can work inside professional engineering processes by understanding engineering information, applying accumulated knowledge, executing repetitive tasks, and supporting engineers across more complete workflows.

ZTE provided a concrete example of how this could translate into engineering practice. In an ongoing AI + CAD research and validation project with ZWSOFT, ZTE is applying AI to fixture design, including 3D model generation, design-rule checking, 2D drawing generation, and synchronized updates following design changes.

In one test scenario, ZTE reported that generating a complex test-fixture model was reduced from around six hours of manual design to about 10 minutes of AI generation plus one hour of engineering review, delivering close to a sixfold efficiency improvement. AI-assisted drawing generation also reduced a process that previously took around 1.8 hours to within 30 minutes, including manual checking and adjustments.

Building Beyond CAD

ZWorld 2026 also made clear that strengthening core CAD technology remains fundamental to ZWSOFT, even as the workflows around it continue to expand.

In AEC, ZWSOFT presented a path that starts with CAD and extends into interoperability, cloud collaboration, BIM, and more connected project workflows. The company shared progress around ZWBIM and early customer experience with ZWCAD 365, showing how desktop CAD, cloud collaboration, and BIM-oriented workflows can work together.

In manufacturing, ZW3D WuKong represents another part of that evolution. The new generation of ZW3D is built around a redesigned architecture for machinery engineering, with advances in parametric modeling, large assemblies, engineering drawing automation, and other core workflows.

ZWSOFT CTO Tim Fu also discussed the technology decisions and engineering challenges behind the platform and its Overdrive Kernel, underscoring ZWSOFT's continued investment in foundational technologies.

Across AEC and manufacturing, the approach is consistent: strengthen the engineering foundation first, then connect more of the data, workflows, applications, and collaboration around it.

From Technology to Ecosystem Capability

A third message from ZWorld 2026 was that technology alone does not create market impact.

Customers need software that fits real engineering environments. Technology and application partners extend platforms into specialized workflows. Local partners need the technical, marketing, sales, and customer-success capabilities to bring those solutions to market effectively.

That ecosystem dimension was visible throughout ZWorld, from customer visits and the Global VAD Roundtable to the International Forum and final-day Partner Enablement sessions at ZWSOFT's global headquarters.

The discussions went beyond product features to how ZWSOFT and its partners can jointly create demand, improve customer engagement, strengthen technical delivery, and build more scalable local capabilities. Dedicated AEC and manufacturing tracks also gave partners closer access to product roadmaps, go-to-market programs, and ZWSOFT product and business teams.

For ZWSOFT, the message from ZWorld 2026 is broader than any single product release: strengthen the core technologies behind its software, connect more engineering workflows around them, and build an ecosystem capable of turning those technologies into practical value across industries and markets.

That gives practical meaning to this year's theme, "Design the Future. Together." As engineering software evolves, ZWSOFT sees customers, partners, developers, technology providers, and engineering professionals all playing a role in shaping what comes next.

About ZWSOFT

Founded in 1998, ZWSOFT is a world-leading All-in-One CAx Solutions Provider, offering products including ZWCAD and ZW3D to support professionals across architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing. Serving 1.4 million users in more than 90 countries and regions, ZWSOFT develops its core technologies in-house to deliver trusted, efficient, and accessible design solutions. Guided by its mission to Empower Sustainable Innovation, ZWSOFT is committed to helping professionals worldwide design, create, and build a better future.