Paris, October 24, 2008: ESI Group (ISIN FR0004110310), a pioneer and world-leading supplier of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes, announced today the expansion of its European operations with the opening of a new subsidiary ESI Italia. This new branch will be located in Bologna, Italy, in the northern part of the country.

The opening of a new subsidiary, in line with ESI Group’s distribution network development strategy, will reinforce ESI’s presence in Southern Europe, a market which has considerable growth potential. The Group has been working in Italy for many years thanks to a local network of agents and distributors. The decision to open ESI Italia will help identify new customers and significantly strengthen relationships with existing clients and partners.

ESI’s key Italian customers include renowned corporations such as Bassano Grimeca, Brembo, FIAT Auto, Centro Ricerche FIAT (CRF), Centro Sviluppo Materiali (CSM), Italdesign, Iveco, Fincantieri, Pininfarina, Fonderie Tacconi, Rieter Automotive, STMicroelectronics and Thales Alenia.

Marco Gremaud, head of International Business Units at ESI Group, commented: “The creation of ESI Italia is proof of our commitment to actively strengthen our business in one of the main European countries. At the same time, ESI keeps extending its worldwide presence to better help our customers keep their international competitive edge by expanding the usage of Simulation-Based Design right from the product preliminary design phase.”

The new subsidiary will be managed by Denis Luci, who has a proven successful track record in sales and general management positions. Before joining ESI Group, he worked for more than 12 years in multinational companies (PTC and Think3) as Sales Director, and then successfully created a company in simulation services and mechanical engineering design.

Denis Luci concluded: “I am convinced that Italy will bring attractive growth opportunities for ESI Group. We have an ambitious development plan to support existing and new customers and help them deliver better products with more innovation and at lower prices with the support of ESI’s high value added software and services.”

ESI Italia

Via San Donato, 191
40127 Bologna
Denis Luci
Valerio Galli

About ESI Group

ESI Group is a world-leading supplier and pioneer of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the physics of materials. ESI Group has developed an extensive suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications to realistically simulate a product’s behavior during testing, to fine-tune manufacturing processes in accordance with desired product performance, and to evaluate the environment’s impact on product performance. ESI Group’s products represent a unique collaborative and open environment for Simulation-Based Design, enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a continuous and collaborative manner while eliminating the need for physical prototypes during product development. The company employs over 700 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries. ESI Group is listed in compartment C of NYSE Euronext Paris. For further information, visit www.esi-group.com.

ESI Group has been recognised as “an innovative company” since 20 January 2000 by OSEO and is eligible for inclusion in “FCPI” innovation venture capital funds.

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ISIN FR 0004110310 - FTSE 977- Bloomberg ESI FP - Reuters ESIG.LN

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