Florida Tech Garners $246M Siemens Technology Grant

Siemens PLM Software has provided Florida Institute of Technology with an in-kind software grant to enable the university to offer students hands-on learning experiences to better equip them for future STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers.

The in-kind grant has a commercial value of more than $246 million. It is centered on Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software, which is used by companies in the aerospace, automotive, medical device, machinery, shipbuilding and high-tech electronics sectors. More than 75 companies in Florida use the software, including Northrop Grumman, whose Manned Aircraft Design Center of Excellence is based in Melbourne.

These companies use Siemens’ PLM software – including Simcenter and NX software, the Teamcenter portfolio and the Tecnomatix portfolio – to design, develop and manufacture a diversity of products, and Florida Tech students across the university’s colleges and programs will now be able to use the same programs.

“One of our guiding principles 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,” says Florida Tech President Dwayne McCay.

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 & 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. 

“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,” says 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.”

The software will benefit students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. At the College of Engineering & Computing, for example, the software will be used in junior- and senior-level classes in mechanical engineering and bioengineering, as well as by student design teams such as Formula SAE. At the graduate level, the software will be used in the automotive engineering department.

 For more info, visit Siemens PLM Software.

Sources: Press materials received from the company.