The New Engineering Stack: Accelerated Computing and Agentic AI

Accelerated computing is now the primary design hardware platform for engineering. As electronics, systems, and life sciences challenges grow exponentially in complexity, traditional CPU-centric approaches simply cannot keep pace with the scale, fidelity, and turnaround time that modern design demands. Advanced-node silicon, 3D-IC and chiplet architectures, multiphysics system analysis, and large-scale scientific discovery all require orders of magnitude more simulation and analysis than was previously practical. GPU-accelerated computing makes this possible, enabling engineers to move beyond approximations and run high-fidelity simulations over real operating time, explore vastly larger design spaces, and bring predictive accuracy directly into everyday design workflows. This is not about incremental speedups—it is a fundamental shift in the hardware foundation of engineering.

GPU Accelerated Computing – The New Compute Platform

As accelerated computing becomes the core of AI & HPC infrastructure, they are reshaping what “design” means in practice. Engineers are no longer forced to simplify physics, reduce model resolution, or limit scenarios due to compute constraints. Instead, they can evaluate full-system behavior earlier in the design cycle, continuously refine models as data evolves, and validate decisions against realistic operating conditions. In electronics, this means tighter coupling between silicon, package, and system design. In systems engineering, it enables digital twins that reflect real-world performance rather than static assumptions. In life sciences, it enables researchers to simulate biological and chemical systems at scales that were previously unattainable. GPU computing and optimized software is turning engineering into a continuous, data-driven process rather than a sequence of isolated steps.

Agentic AI – The New User Interface

At the same time, agentic AI is becoming the new user interface and team dashboard for engineering software. As workflows span dozens of tools, models, and data sources, productivity is no longer limited by raw compute alone—it is limited by how effectively teams can reason, coordinate, and make decisions. Agentic AI brings intelligence directly into the design flow, helping engineers navigate complexity by automating insight generation, guiding exploration, and orchestrating work across teams and disciplines. Across electronics, systems, and life sciences, agentic AI transforms how engineers interact with simulation and analysis tools—turning massive volumes of data into actionable decisions and enabling teams to move faster with greater confidence.

Unlike traditional automation or scripting, agentic AI operates as a collaborative partner. It can understand design intent, monitor evolving constraints, propose alternatives, and surface tradeoffs in real time. For design teams, this changes the interface from menus and parameters to goals and outcomes. Engineers can ask higher-level questions—about performance, reliability, sustainability, or manufacturability—and receive guidance grounded in simulation, historical data, and system-level context. As a result, expertise scales across teams, institutional knowledge is preserved, and decision-making becomes more consistent and explainable.

The New Engineering Stack – Design for AI and AI for Design

Together, GPU accelerated computing and agentic AI redefine both the engine and the interface of modern engineering. GPUs and optimized software provide the computational foundation needed to model reality with unprecedented fidelity, while agentic AI provides the cognitive layer that helps humans interpret, explore, and act on that reality. This new engineering stack is a three layer cake and enables faster innovation, reduces risk, and allows teams to tackle problems that were previously out of reach—not by working harder, but by working smarter with machines that amplify human insight.

Cadence and NVIDIA Collaboration

Cadence is working closely with NVIDIA to help make this new engineering paradigm a reality. By optimizing Cadence’s industry-leading design, simulation, and analysis platforms for NVIDIA’s accelerated computing and AI architectures, and by integrating agentic AI capabilities directly into engineering workflows, the two companies are enabling a future where engineers design at the speed of thought, scale with confidence, and push the boundaries of what is possible. Together, Cadence and NVIDIA are building the foundation for the next generation of engineering—where accelerated computing is the platform, agentic AI is the interface, and innovation has no artificial limits.

Learn More at NVIDIA GTC 2026

Secure your spot and start planning your sessions: Register now for NVIDIA GTC 2026.