Today Siemens announced a software grant with an in-kind commercial value of over half 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, Mr. 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,” said Mr. Connolly.
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,” said Premier Palaszczuk.
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.
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. 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.
Mr. 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 digitalization, 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, 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.
Background information About the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce (now known as ‘The Industry 4.0 Forum’ within the Australian Industry Group)
The PM’s Taskforce is a direct outcome of recommendations made by the Australia Germany Advisory Group (AGAG), which was established in 2015 following the G20 meeting in Australia. The German Chancellor and Australian Prime Minister agreed to increase bilateral relations. Mathias Cormann led AGAG which made a number of recommendations. One of these was around leveraging the German efforts around preparing for Industry 4.0 – a concept Germany uses to describe the future of manufacturing and industry which is rapidly changing due to disruptive technology advances especially in the areas of automation and digitalization.
A taskforce was established, made up of a coalition of the willing representing industry, academia and government. In April last year the Australian Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce signed a collaboration agreement with Germany’s equivalent Plattform Industry 4.0 Group. The structure and workstreams of the PM’s taskforce replicate those of Germany’s - and significant contributions have been made with highlights especially in the areas of the workstreams of standards, test laboratories and future of work. This year the Taskforce has been embedded into the AiGroup and is now known as the Industry 4.0 Forum.
