Researchers and students at Florida Institute of Technology will be able to benefit from a partnership with Siemens that will allow the university to offer students hands-on learning experiences to better equip them for future STEM careers.
Siemens provided Florida Institute of Technology with an in-kind grant, valued at around $246 million in software and licensing to use Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software.
Siemens PLM software is used by more than 150,000 companies around the world in the aerospace, automotive, medical device, machinery, shipbuilding and high-tech electronics sectors.
‘This is huge,’ said Florida Tech president Dwayne McCay. ‘One of our core values is to prepare students for a lifetime of success, and this grant will offer them the opportunity to learn the cutting-edge skills that will be essential for success in advanced manufacturing.’
The software will be incorporated into student coursework and projects related to computer-aided design, engineering simulation, industrial design, digital manufacturing and manufacturing management at Florida Tech’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design (CAMID). Students in the College of Engineering and Computing and the College of Science will also use the PLM software for senior design projects, which simulate real-world applications of design and engineering principles.
Siemens’ PLM software will help students collaborate and realise their ideas by supplying accurate information as they move from design through performance engineering and manufacturing. Access to the software, combined with the mentoring offered by Northrop Grumman engineers, will provide students with invaluable learning experiences which could help enable them to tackle the most challenging projects.
‘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,’ said Tony Hemmelgarn, president and CEO of Siemens PLM Software. ‘Through our partnership with Florida Tech, we are helping empower the next generation of digital talent with access to valuable hands-on training with both software and hardware tools. This real-world, project-based learning will offer students the STEM skills they need to succeed in the digital future.’
‘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,’ said Michael Grieves, executive director of CAMID and a university research professor. ‘This software grant will help make Florida Tech graduates highly attractive and move their resumes to the top of an employer’s list.’
