Siemens gives half-billion-dollar software grant to UQ

Siemens has announced a software grant with an in-kind commercial value of over half a billion Australian dollars to the University of Queensland (UQ). This is the fourth in the series of grants in a broader strategic program of software grants helping students in Australia transition to 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 yesterday, Connolly said, “I’m delighted to be here today announcing the grant of Siemens’ advanced industrial software to the University of Queensland. Our history in Queensland dates back over 100 years, and this grant reiterates our commitment to continued technology partnership with the state.

“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,” he said.

Speaking at the announcement, Queensland’s Premier and Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed the grant: “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.”

The grant is part of Siemens’ commitment to helping enable Australian students and universities to develop the skills needed to successfully participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (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 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.

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,” he said. “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.

Connolly reflected on the historical connection with Queensland saying, “I’m proud to say that in Queensland, our technology can be found in everything from health, mining, energy, agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing and transportation. Most recently, we announced $25 million investment to support the export growth of Fusesaver technology that was invented right here in Brisbane and is now exported to over 30 countries.

“But today’s announcement is about the next 100 years. As the world changes rapidly through digitalisation, we need to ensure that our future workforce is equipped with the right digital tools to speak the same global digital language so we can not only participate in, but lead global value chains.”

The Siemens PLM software grant will provide University of Queensland students access to the Siemens Digital Innovation platform. The suite of software includes 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.