Siemens has announced a new academic teaching programme for Industry 4.0 technologies, called Connected Curriculum, in partnership with higher education providers.
Academic partners the University of Sheffield, Liverpool John Moores, Middlesex University, Newcastle University and Manchester Metropolitan University have already signed up to the initiative. Each institution will work with Siemens to bring advanced industrial tools, data and approaches into their respective apprenticeship, undergraduate and masters courses.
Festo, the global supplier of automation technology and provider of industrial training and education programmes, is a key delivery partner for the new curriculum.
At the heart of the Connected Curriculum is Siemens Digital Industries industrial software portfolio and cloud-based IoT platform MindSphere. Siemens Digital Industries specialises in innovation in automation and digitalisation. MindSphere is a highly 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, powerful and intuitive interface.
Siemens Digital Industries managing director Brian Holliday announced the initiative at the 2019 MindSphere Innovation Network (MINe) Symposium at the University of Sheffield. Since its launch in 2017, the MINe program has engaged with over 50 businesses on more than 20 projects. Common feedback from all the collaborations has been the need to build the skill base in companies and universities alike.
Mr Holliday said: “Collaboration is central to delivering successful, robust and secure industrial IoT projects. Universities can be key partners in this process, often having expertise industry doesn’t, 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 looking forward to working with Sheffield, John Moores, Middlesex and Manchester Metropolitan universities to help explore the full potential of Industrial IoT.”
Manchester Metropolitan University will be Connected Curriculum partner university that will focus on postgraduate students, embedding the programme in six new Industry 4.0 Masters courses in the Faculty of Science and Engineering which are being launched in September to bridge the Industry 4.0 skills gap.
Professor Andy Gibson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “Manchester Metropolitan is focused on bridging the Industry 4.0 skills gap by equipping students with the skills for the new digital economy. This partnership will ensure that we remain at the cutting edge of the digital revolution and lead the way in innovation in postgraduate education, such as with the new Industry 4.0 masters degree courses.”
Further information:
https://new.siemens.com/uk/en/company/education/connected-curriculum.htmlhttps://new.siemens.com/uk/en/company/topic-areas/digitalization/the-mindsphere-innovation-network.html