$500m-plus software grant to equip students for digital revolution

A more than $500 million software grant from Siemens will give University of Queensland students and researchers access to advanced technology, building their skills in digital and data driven industries.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj and Siemens Australia Chairman and CEO Jeff Connolly announced the partnership at UQ’s St Lucia campus today (12 November), alongside Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The grant includes licences for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software platform, which digitally tracks a product’s life from its design inception through to manufacture, use, maintenance and disposal.

“This grant gives our students and researchers access to advanced software used by leaders in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding and electronics sectors,” Professor Høj 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.”

Professor Høj said the partnership would ensure UQ students were prepared for the evolving nature of the workforce.

“UQ strives to invest in opportunities that give our students the skills and experience to succeed in any industry,” he said.

“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.”

Mr Connolly said Siemens had previously collaborated with UQ on projects such as medical imaging and health.

“This grant reiterates our commitment to continued technology partnership with the State and supports the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland agenda,” he said.

“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 to participate – and that’s exactly what this grant is about.

“Partnerships such as this are critical to giving students exposure to digital technologies used by leading companies globally.”

The grant is part of Siemens’ commitment of more than $1 billion in advanced software grants to select universities nationally.

The announcement is linked to the recommendations and work of the Industry 4.0 Advanced Manufacturing Forum – an industry led group established to support improved collaboration between Australia and Germany on preparing for industry for the fourth industrial revolution.

Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, 3365 3439; Krupa Uthappa (Siemens), krupa.uthappa@siemens.com, +61 427 601 578.

Image: Siemens Australia Chairman and CEO Jeff Connolly, UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announce the partnership at UQ’s St Lucia campus.