Altair HyperWorks 2026: New AI, HPC and Multiphysics Capabilities

HyperWorks 2026 from Altair (now part of Siemens) includes advances in artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and multiphysics integration. According to the company, these enhancements will enable engineering teams to accelerate innovation and improve product performance across industries using comprehensive computer-aided engineering (CAE) design and simulation.

“HyperWorks 2026 exemplifies how Altair and Siemens are driving the future of simulation and empowering engineers to design smarter, faster, and with greater confidence in real-world outcomes by bringing AI, automation, and multiphysics into a unified ecosystem,” said Sam Mahalingam, chief technology officer, Altair, and executive vice president, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Following the acquisition by Siemens earlier this year, our commitment is to create the world's most complete AI-powered portfolio of product lifecycle intelligence software and further enhance the most comprehensive digital twin.”

Aviation startup JetZero is collaborating with Siemens on the development and production of JetZero's blended wing aircraft. The all-wing design aims to improve fuel efficiency by up to 50 percent, reduce noise, and advance the industry toward zero carbon emissions, the company says. Key to the fast pace of its development schedule is gaining engineering insights faster than using conventional high fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with FlightStream, part of the HyperWorks suite.

As John Vassberg, chief design officer at JetZero explains, “JetZero is pioneering the next step change in the aerospace industry and, to accomplish that at the scale the industry is demanding, means we need a toolset that allows us to work at pace and gain accurate insights early in design – which FlightStream does. It is easy for our engineering team to use, does not require the traditional high-performance computing resources of high-fidelity CFD, and gets us answers fast and without heavy resource demands. This is critical for companies like JetZero that need to iterate faster than ever before.”

According to Altair, the new release includes these key enhancements:

AI-powered design and simulation
Geometric deep learning and generative algorithms and GPU-accelerated reduced order modeling (ROM) enable near-real-time predictions and faster validation. Physics-based AI models can be deployed in secure, browser-based environments, producing results up to 1,000x faster than traditional solver simulations. Expanded support for vectors and smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) broadens domain coverage.

Enterprise-scale pre-processing and model assembly
Engineers can now simulate large, complex assemblies with speed and fluidity, shortening build and validation cycles. Enhanced navigation, batch meshing, and connector management streamline pre-processing while direct data management integration helps to ensure consistency across teams.

Integrated multiphysics simulation
Unified solvers and domain coupling allow engineers to analyze complex interactions – such as thermal-fluid or electromagnetic-structural systems – with greater fidelity. New workflows support e-motor optimization, battery safety studies, and high-temperature analysis, while co-simulation standards enhance digital continuity. Electromagnetic simulations run up to 40 percent faster and propagation modeling up to 20x faster with radar and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) analysis expanded for next-generation applications.

Automation, collaboration and connectivity
Expanded Python and API support, intuitive no-code workflow tools, and cloud integration promote digital continuity. Enhanced visualization and plotting tools simplify result interpretation and sharing, while seamless interoperability with third-party software strengthens digital twin fidelity.

Realistic particle, fluid, and material behavior
New modeling approaches capture bulk flow, impact behavior, and high-temperature effects with greater realism. Python-based automation accelerates discrete element method (DEM) workflows and coupled solvers enable advanced studies of battery safety and material response.

Intuitive design and motion exploration
A more unified workspace transforms how engineers explore motion and refine geometry. Real-time updates across multi-window views reduce setup time, while flexible implicit modeling and direct surface editing remove geometry barriers to creativity. With clear side-by-side comparisons, teams can make faster, more confident decisions.