Florida tech receives $246M software grant from Siemens

An aerial view of the Florida Tech Melbourne campus. (FIT)

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Technology giant Siemens announced Thursday that it will grant an estimated $246 million in software to the Florida Institute of Technology which will better enable STEM students for real-world experiences.

The grant was designated for Siemens product lifecycle management software, or PLM, which is used by more than 150,000 companies internationally from aerospace to medical devices.

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The grant will allow students in Florida Tech’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design, or CAMID, College of Engineering and college of science to have access to PLM, which is used to design, develop and manufacture products around the world, according to the news release.

The software will be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate student's coursework. Undergraduates will have access to use PLM in classes related to computer-aided design, engineering simulation, industrial design and digital manufacturing. Northrop Grumman engineers will mentor students using the software. Graduate students will use the software in the automotive engineering department.

“Having been an industry executive, I am keenly aware that industry needs graduates who are educated using the latest, sophisticated tools and methodologies so that these new employees can be immediately productive,” executive director of CAMID and FIT research Professor Michael Grieves said. “This software grant will help make Florida Tech graduates highly attractive and move their resumes to the top of an employer’s list.”

Siemens PLM Software CEO Tony Hemmelgarn said he hopes the partnership will help empower the next generation of digital talent.

“Software is at the core of an ongoing digital transformation that is changing the way our customers approach the manufacturing process, from design to production into service,” Hemmelgarn said.

In Florida, more than 5,200 people are employed by Siemens.

Siemen's software and hardware products "have helped automate processes and increase efficiency in areas ranging from manufacturing to city infrastructure, and even theme parks," according to a news release.


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