FlexSim Software Products, September 2, 2021 — After great deliberation, The AnyLogic Company (AnyLogic) and FlexSim Software Products, Inc. (FlexSim) have decided they will not be attending, exhibiting, or sponsoring at the 2021 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC). The simulation leaders have had ongoing concerns with the organization and direction of recent WSC events. Despite numerous attempts to communicate with conference organizers, AnyLogic and FlexSim did not feel that the organizing committee could reasonably address their concerns.

The companies have routinely expressed long-standing disagreements on the focus and direction of the WSC. There has been a gradual trend of the conference becoming myopic and academic while ignoring the commercial aspects of simulation. The companies agree that while academia should certainly be an important component of the WSC, the conference organizing committee has routinely neglected the commercial utilization and real-world application of simulation.

“Simulation isn’t just theoretical—it is an applied technology that should focus on real-world problems faced by businesses and government organizations,” said Bill Nordgren, CEO at FlexSim.

“Emerging technologies, such as AI combined with multi-method simulation, offer great potential for growing the enthusiasm and interest in simulation for commercial applications,” said Andrei Borshchev, CEO at AnyLogic. “Ignoring these trends and advancements at WSC is an injustice to the simulation community.”

As the world’s leading simulation software providers, AnyLogic and FlexSim will continue to serve the simulation community through upcoming user conferences and a day of workshops to showcase the latest advancements in the discipline. Both organizations remain committed to driving participation in new areas of simulation technology, providing exceptional solutions, and leading innovation in this vital industry.

AnyLogic will hold its user conference on September 23, 2021. FlexSim will hold its user conference on December 14, 2021. Their upcoming workshop sessions will be announced in the fall.