Five UAE Institutions receive Siemens’ €100m software grant under the patronage of Ministry of Education during Year of Giving

The Ministry of Education and Siemens have announced software licenses for five universities in the UAE, valued at 100 million Euros in total. The partnership between the Ministry of Education and Siemens, comes on the back of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between both parties last year. The grant seeks to advance digital skills in the country to support its economic diversification goals, underscoring Siemens’ contribution to the Year of Giving in 2017. The license handover was made during a signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi, attended by His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, the UAE’s Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, and Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG.

“As the UAE transitions to a competitive, knowledge economy, building the skills of the future among UAE nationals is a top priority. The software grant from Siemens is a significant contribution to enhancing local digital skills, as they become increasingly essential for the development of this country and the jobs of tomorrow,” said His Excellency. “We extend our gratitude to Siemens, a trusted private sector partner of the Ministry of Education, for their generosity and commitment during the Year of Giving.”

Following an open call for submissions of compelling ideas that illustrated how universities would use the company’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software, the Ministry of Education selected UAE University, Zayed University, Higher Colleges of Technology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Students and faculty at these universities can use the software for academic and institutional purposes to develop the required skills to drive the country’s digital transformation.

“During the Year of Giving in the UAE, private companies are inspired to engage in activities that reflect the spirit of generosity and bring benefits to the community. We believe this is a natural desire; to give back to society and support the country’s long-term aspirations for a sustainable knowledge economy,” said Joe Kaeser. “Siemens’ software grant will stimulate research activity among higher education institutions, encourage talent development among UAE nationals in digitalization and innovation, and support alignment between academia and industry.”

The software grant was first announced during the opening ceremony of the first Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit (GMIS) held in Abu Dhabi in March this year. Siemens is already playing an important role in driving the digital transformation in the region. In more traditional sectors, such as energy the company’s digital portfolio can help companies reduce cost and boost operational efficiency. In developing sectors such as aerospace, Siemens has partnered with local entities to develop fully-certified 3D printed aircraft parts for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

PLM is a leading innovative software that has been a key component of globally-significant projects such as the Mars Rover Curiosity, the Maserati Ghibli car, and the Solar Impulse aircraft which flew around the world without using any fuel. Its value lies in its ability to integrate data, processes, business systems and, ultimately, people in an extended enterprise. The software allows companies to manage this information throughout the entire lifecycle of a product efficiently and cost-effectively, from ideation, design and manufacture, through service and disposal.