Siemens Partners with UI Labs for Innovation and Manufacturing Hub

By DE Editors

President Barack Obama announced that the Digital Lab for Manufacturing in Chicago will receive $70 million through a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) cooperative agreement. As part of this public/private effort, Siemens has been named as the only supplier of product lifecycle management (PLM) software that will serve as a top tier partner for the Digital Lab.

“Siemens is proud to be both a technology partner and investor in the Digital Lab which is designed to drive innovation and America’s manufacturing resurgence,” said Chuck Grindstaff, CEO of Siemens PLM Software. “Siemens software is delivering enhanced productivity,  increased efficiency, a quicker time to market and more flexibility. As the sole PLM supplier serving as a Tier One partner, Siemens will provide ongoing strategic leadership and manpower to help bring both the potential and the vision of the Digital Lab to fruition.”

The investment is part of President Obama’s effort to bolster U.S. manufacturing. The $70 million award will be leveraged by commitments of $250 million from industry, academia, government and community partners, forming a $320 million Institute. According to Siemens, the Digital Lab will be “the nation’s flagship research institute for digital manufacturing and design innovation, applying cutting-edge technologies to reduce the time and cost of manufacturing, strengthen the capabilities of the U.S. supply chain, and reduce acquisition costs for DoD.”

Siemens recently made a $440 million PLM software grant to Youngstown State University which will help students at the America Makes manufacturing innovation hub in Youngstown, Ohio. This center is devoted to incorporating 3D printing in mainstream American manufacturing, and will provide students with hands-on use of PLM software in fields such as robotics design, computer-aided engineering and additive manufacturing.

For more information, visit Siemens PLM Software.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.