Siemens announces regional university link
The University of Sheffield will be one of five universities linking up with Siemens.
The global firm has announced a new academic teaching programme with University of Sheffield, Liverpool John Moores, Middlesex University, Newcastle University and Manchester Metropolitan University have signed-up to the initiative, which is called Connected Curriculum.
Each institution will work with Siemens to bring advanced industrial tools, data and approaches into their apprenticeship, undergraduate and masters courses. Festo, global supplier of automation technology and provider of industrial training and education programs, is a key delivery partner.
At the heart of Connected Curriculum is Siemens Digital Industries’ industrial software portfolio and cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform MindSphere. MindSphere is a secure operating system which connects industrial machines and devices via IoT protocols.
It allows data from multiple sources to be captured and analysed simultaneously, creating a real-time picture of the whole production process via a single interface.
Brian Holliday, Siemens Digital Industries Managing Director, said: “Collaboration is central to delivering successful, robust and secure industrial IoT projects.
“Universities can be key partners in this process, often having the expertise industry doesn’t have such as data science, visualisation and insights into human behaviour including how people engage with technology.
“This is why Siemens developed the MindSphere Innovation Network in partnership with several universities two years ago, which in turn has informed the Connected Curriculum.
“I am now looking forward to working with Sheffield, John Moores, Middlesex and Manchester Metropolitan universities to explore the full potential of Industrial IoT with our MindSphere platform at the heart of the process.”
Professor Mike Hounslow, Vice-President and Head of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: “I am delighted Siemens chose to launch their Connected Curriculum at Sheffield, and we are proud to be one of the first UK universities to embed the programme into our teaching.”
