Simulating Complex Flow Patterns: A Key Challenge for Engineering
In many industrial sectors, it is essential to be able to simulate the behavior of fluids—both liquids and gases—before even building a product or facility. This is known as computational fluid dynamics, or CFD, a discipline that allows for the modeling of phenomena such as airflow around an airplane, fluid circulation within an engine, or the mixing of substances in a chemical reactor.
These simulations rely on complex mathematical models and require significant computational resources. They are therefore often time-consuming, costly, and limited by the power of available supercomputers.
To address this challenge, SoftPath is developing a new generation of scientific simulation software, building on the work of the CFL group at CEMEF (Mines Paris – PSL), which specializes in fluid mechanics, scientific computing, and advanced numerical methods.
A new generation of simulation methods
SoftPath offers an approach that simultaneously improves two essential aspects of numerical simulation: computational speed and the accuracy of results.
To achieve this, the startup combines several innovations stemming from research:
- adaptive anisotropic meshing: involves dividing the computational domain into finer elements only in areas where phenomena are complex, to avoid unnecessary calculations elsewhere
- multiscale finite element methods: allow physical phenomena to be represented at different resolutions without excessively increasing the number of calculations
- parallelized solvers: algorithms capable of distributing calculations across multiple processors simultaneously to speed up processing.
The objective of these methods is simple in principle: to concentrate computing power where it is truly needed and avoid numerical redundancies.
Faster simulations without sacrificing accuracy
Thanks to these innovations, SoftPath significantly reduces the time required to obtain simulation results while maintaining a high level of reliability. In practical terms, this means that an engineer can test different product configurations more quickly, refine a design, or validate a technical choice while significantly reducing wait times.
The applications are wide-ranging: the automotive industry, aerospace and defense, semiconductor manufacturing, energy, biomedicine, the food industry, and advanced manufacturing processes. In all these fields, numerical simulation is a key tool for reducing development costs and limiting physical testing.
An approach at the intersection of scientific computing and industry
SoftPath is part of a major trend: the convergence of high-performance computing (HPC) and data science. This combination enables the creation of smarter simulation tools capable of adapting to the specific needs of manufacturers.
The startup thus offers customized software solutions that enable engineers to design, test, and validate products more quickly and safely, while reducing computational costs. This approach also paves the way for new applications by making simulations accessible that were previously too costly or time-consuming to perform.
From research at Mines Paris – PSL to industrial technology
SoftPath emerged from the work of the CFL group at CEMEF, a Mines Paris – PSL research center specializing in fluid mechanics, applied mathematics, and high-performance computing. This group develops advanced numerical methods to model complex phenomena such as multiphase flows, non-Newtonian fluids, heat transfer, and fluid-structure interactions.
Building on these research findings, SoftPath transforms cutting-edge scientific advances into software tools that can be directly used by industry. This continuity between academic research and technological innovation illustrates Mines Paris – PSL’s ability to generate high-impact solutions from its laboratories.
VivaTech, an international showcase for deep tech innovations
VivaTech has established itself as one of the world’s leading events for technological innovation, bringing together startups, researchers, industry leaders, and investors around the technologies of tomorrow.
For its first participation, PSL University will present a selection of some twenty projects from its institutions and laboratories, alongside the PSL Innovation Hub and its entrepreneurial ecosystem.
SoftPath’s presence at VivaTech 2026 highlights the role of Mines Paris – PSL in developing research-driven deep tech capable of transforming the engineering tools used across numerous industrial sectors.
Visit the PSL University booth
- June 17–19, 2026 – Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
- Hall 7 • Zone B • Booth 2C01
- The full program
Mines Paris – PSL, a driving force for scientific and industrial innovation
By supporting startups like SoftPath, Mines Paris – PSL plays a key role in transforming scientific knowledge into operational solutions. The School supports its researchers and entrepreneurs through the various stages of their projects’ development: algorithmic development, technology transfer, business structuring, and connecting with industry partners.
SoftPath exemplifies this dynamic: by making numerical simulations faster and more accessible, it helps accelerate industrial innovation while reducing the computational resources required.
At VivaTech, it will thus present a vision of innovation deeply rooted in the scientific expertise of Mines Paris – PSL: putting computation and modeling at the service of more efficient, faster, and more sustainable engineering.
Learn more about entrepreneurship at Mines Paris – PSL
