Siemens' $450m software grant to Uni of SA

Siemens has announced it will provide an in-kind grant of more than $450m of industrial product lifecycle management (PLM) software to the University of South Australia (UniSA).

The company says this is the largest software grant ever made in Australia.

The announcement was made by Siemens Chairman and CEO Jeff Connolly at the UniSA’s Museum of Discovery (MOD) in Adelaide, attended by the Premier Steven Marshall, federal Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and Professor David Lloyd, Vice Chancellor and President, the University of South Australia.

“I’m delighted to be here today announcing the grant of Siemens’ PLM advanced industrial software with in-kind commercial value of more than $450 million to the University of South Australia,” said Connolly.

“It demonstrates the great partnership we have with the state of South Australia, which began in 1872, and our commitment to partnering with great educational institutions to build the workforce of the future.”

The grant is part of Siemens’ commitment of more than $1 billion in PLM software grants to select universities nationally. It will enable students and the university to develop the skills needed to successfully participate in Industry 4.0.

The announcement is linked to the recommendations and work of the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce — an industry-led group established to support improved bilateral relations between Australia and Germany.

The announcement follows last year’s grant to Swinburne University of Technology’s ‘Factory of the Future’.

UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd said the partnership with Siemens Australia will provide opportunities for students and for local industry.

“It’s exciting to think that our students will soon have access to the same software used to design and develop everything from Space X, the Mars Curiosity Rover, Maserati Ghibli and other world-leading innovations such as the digital shipyard for Newport News (US) where aircraft carriers are built,” said Professor Lloyd.

The grant includes software tools such as the Teamcenter portfolio for engineering collaboration, NX software for 3D design, the Simcenter portfolio for predictive engineering simulation and analytics, and the Tecnomatix portfolio which includes digital avatars.

Image courtesy Siemens Australia.

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and quarterly magazine.