Altair Seeks Entries for Enlighten Award

Altair reports that the 2024 Altair Enlighten Award is now open for submissions. Presented annually in conjunction with the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the award honors the greatest sustainability and lightweighting advancements that reduce carbon footprint, mitigate water and energy consumption, and leverage material reuse and recycling efforts, the company reports.

“The Enlighten Award puts the automotive industry’s finest achievements in sustainable technology on display, and we are thrilled to once again crown the latest and greatest technology available,” says James R. Scapa, founder and chief executive officer, Altair. “As we continue to see the urgent need for greener, more sustainable global transportation technology, the Enlighten Award is the premier award that showcases the future of the automotive industry’s sustainability efforts.”

This year the Enlighten Award features a new category, “Sustainable Computing,” sponsored by Google Cloud, which recognizes implementing practices and technologies that prioritize sustainable measurement, optimizing resource and energy efficiency, unlocking new opportunities for low-carbon transition, and building more sustainable and eco-friendly computing, according to Altair. This year’s full category list is:

• Sustainable Product—Recognizes a production vehicle (or major system module) embracing emissions reduction, lightweighting, material circularity and safety advances.
• Sustainable Process—Recognizes processes that enable emissions reductions, material reuse and/or recycling and water conservation during manufacturing or engineering phases.
• Module Lightweighting—Recognizes mass reduction of a vehicle module, subsystem, or component.
• Enabling Technology—Recognizes technology advancements that enable vehicle lightweighting, including a material, production process, design method, or joining technology.
• Future of Lightweighting—Recognizes a process, material, or technology not in production, but has potential to advance vehicle lightweighting.
• Responsible AI—Recognizes responsible AI deployment throughout the automotive value chain—from design, engineering, and operation to production and in-service use.
• Sustainable Computing—Recognizes implementing practices and technologies that prioritize energy efficiency, renewable energy use, reducing environmental impact, and contributing to more sustainable and eco-friendly computing, Altair notes.

“Google Cloud is thrilled to be working with Altair for this year’s Enlighten Award,” says Justin Keeble, managing director for global sustainability, Google Cloud. “We know Altair has long committed to helping organizations design and manufacture their products in a more sustainable way—we are proud to help those same organizations decarbonize their digital footprints and work more sustainably.”

“We are certain that the 12th edition of the Enlighten Award will be the most innovative edition yet and are delighted to once again present this award together with Altair,” says Alan Amici, president and chief executive officer, Center for Automotive Research. “Automotive sustainability is a global imperative – we are honored to highlight the industry’s best achievements and recognize global organizations of all specialties and sizes.”

An award that garners interest from industry, engineering, policymakers, educators, students, and the public, the Altair Enlighten Award showcases the latest and greatest technology innovations dedicated to sustainability. Past winners of the Enlighten Award include GM, Ford, Stellantis, Harley-Davidson, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Ferrari, JLR, Mercedes, BMW, SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), and more.

Media partners for the 2024 Altair Enlighten Award include SAE, Automotive Engineering, Tech Briefs and Automobil Industrie.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.