Siemens today announced a software grant with an in-kind commercial value of over half billion Australian dollars to the University of Queensland (UQ). The initiative is part of a series of grants by Siemens to Australian universities to enable the students to develop the skills needed to successfully participate in the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0)
The announcement was made by Siemens Australia Chairman and CEO Jeff Connolly at UQ’s Atrium in Brisbane, and supported by Queensland’s Premier and Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk and Professor Høj, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Queensland.
Speaking at the announcement, Connolly said the grants were part of Siemens’s broader strategic program to enable Australian students and Universities to develop the skills needed to successfully participate in the fourth industrial revolution.
“Put simply, for Australia to take advantage of the opportunities that come with the fourth industrial revolution, we need to build a future workforce now, with the skills needed to participate – and that’s exactly what this grant is about. Partnerships such as this with the University of Queensland are critical to giving students exposure to digital technologies being used by leading companies globally. I’m pleased to see that this grant supports Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland agenda,” Connolly. said.
Queensland’s Premier and Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed the grant, saying: “The Queensland Government has a 10-year plan to transition the state’s manufacturing sector to more advanced manufacturing high-paid, knowledge-based jobs by 2026. Advanced software is crucial to this transition. I welcome the grant from Siemens into our State and look forward to their continued collaboration with our local researchers and students at University of Queensland to progress our industry not just in Australia, but globally.”
Today’s announcement is part of a strategic program of Siemens software grants which to date have included Swinburne University of Technology’s “Factory of the Future”, University of Western Australia and University of South Australia.
Read: Siemens launches IIoT solution centre in Swinburne University
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 Siemens PLM software grant will provide University of Queensland students access to the Siemens Digital Innovation platform, which is widely used to develop some of the most sophisticated global products and systems in industries including automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and high-tech electronics. The suite of software includes powerful tools such as the Teamcenter portfolio for engineering collaboration, the Polarion portfolio for product development, NX software for 3D design, the Simcenter portfolio for predictive engineering simulation and analytics and the Tecnomatix portfolio which includes digital avatars and more.
Read: Multimillion dollar Siemens’ grant will prepare UniSA students for Industry 4.0
Professor Peter Høj, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Queensland said the partnership would ensure UQ students were prepared for the evolving nature of the workforce.
“This grant gives our students and researchers access to advanced software used by leaders in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and electronics sectors. With PLM software, a product can be quite broadly defined, which means this software will benefit students across many disciplines.
“A civil engineering project team will be able to test city traffic flows and use artificial intelligence to adjust the model in response to new scenarios, while physiotherapy students could use design and simulation tools to develop rehabilitation programs to optimise patient recovery. UQ strives to invest in opportunities that give our students the skills and experience to succeed in any industry. This partnership will equip our students with the tools that are being used to design and develop everything from Space X to the Mars Curiosity Rover, Maserati Ghibli and other world-leading innovations,” said Professor Høj.
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