Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) has received state-of-the-art manufacturing and product design software with an estimated value of $315 million from Siemens, a global technology company.
CSCU students in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers at four community colleges across the state – Three Rivers, Manchester, Asnuntuck and Gateway – will have access to Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software in their classrooms. The software is being incorporated into day-to-day student coursework and projects related to computer-aided-design, engineering simulation, industrial design, digital manufacturing and manufacturing management. The grant will expand to all of the state’s 12 community colleges over the next 18 months.
Siemens’ PLM software helps manufacturers design, develop and manufacture some of the world’s most sophisticated products in a variety of industries including the aerospace and defense, industrial machinery and heavy equipment, shipbuilding, medical devices, electronics, and semiconductor sectors. Siemens has approximately 300 employees working in Connecticut, primarily in the company’s Building Technologies and Health Care businesses.
“This is great news for our system but especially for our students,” said CSCU President Mark Ojakian. “Our advanced manufacturing centers are providing top quality education to Connecticut residents that prepares them for available, high wage careers in our state. We are grateful for this in-kind grant from Siemens, which enhances the quality of the education experience our students receive.”
“With the fourth industrial revolution underway, manufacturing today is increasingly software-driven. By providing students with hands on experience in industrial design software, we can help empower the next generation of digital talent for success in Connecticut’s high-tech economy,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, President and CEO of Siemens PLM Software. “Through this partnership, Connecticut’s community college students will gain real-world experience on the same software and technology that’s used by some of Connecticut’s most innovative companies – opening the doors to rewarding STEM-based careers.”
This in-kind grant of NX™ software – a leading integrated solution for computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering – benefits CSCU students in the advanced manufacturing program and will also be made available through continuing education and youth career development programs. The NX software provides capabilities for fast, efficient and flexible product development, including: conceptual design, 3D modeling, and simulation applications. The software is helping students realize their ideas by providing precise modeling as a product moves from design to prototype through a streamlined manufacturing process that provides instant feedback and allows product developers to make adjustments in real time.
“The grant will enable our students to gain hands-on experience with the actual software used by Connecticut manufacturers and give them job-ready skills to compete in the resurging advanced manufacturing field,” according to Dave Russell, Director of Advanced Manufacturing at Manchester Community College. “This is a fantastic opportunity for MCC and those Connecticut community colleges who integrate this software into their teaching. It will also provide for a better trained workforce in Connecticut, experienced in using some of the best industrial design CAD/CAM/CAE software in the world.”
With software playing an increasingly important role in the next era of manufacturing, this in-kind software grant – the largest in CSCU history – is intended to help prepare a highly-skilled STEM workforce for the advanced manufacturing industry. The software is used by nearly 200 high tech companies across Connecticut including General Dynamics Electric Boat, PCX Aerostructures, EDAC Technologies, ATI East Hartford, UTC Aerospace Systems and more than 140,000 manufacturers globally – helping engineers turn ideas into real products.
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