Siemens launched its first fully integrated Digitalization Hub to bring its expertise and innovations in the Internet of Things (IoT) to the Southeast Asian market. The company will be co-creating future digital applications with customers and partners to build a digital ecosystem.
The launch took place simultaneously at parallel events in Singapore and at Siemens’ headquarters in Munich: Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and the President and CEO of Siemens AG, Joe Kaeser, unveiled a plaque in Munich to mark the Hub’s opening, while Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), S. Iswaran, and the CEO of Siemens Singapore, Armin Bruck, opened the Hub in Singapore.
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the Hub brings together data scientists, solution architects, software engineers, system experts and domain specialists from the urban infrastructure, industrial and healthcare sectors. These professionals will experiment, learn, develop and test-bed innovations and future-ready digital solutions that help businesses become more efficient and sustainable.
Open, cloud-based IoT operating system
An integral part of the Digitalization Hub concept is MindSphere, an open, cloud-based IoT operating system that offers data analytics, connectivity capabilities and tools for developers, applications and services. This platform helps evaluate and process data to gain insights and optimize asset performance for maximized productivity.
“Innovations have been a vital part of Siemens’ DNA for 170 years. With this Digitalization Hub, we’re creating synergy and an ecosystem for our teams, customers and business partners to tap into the benefits that digitalization can bring,” said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “Singapore is the ideal location for this Hub because of its distinctively advanced industrial and urban infrastructure development, combined with the government’s Smart Nation thrust to enable a digital economy.”
EDB Chairman Dr. Beh Swan Gin said, “We are pleased that Siemens has decided to establish the Digitalization Hub in Singapore, the first globally for Siemens that integrates the capabilities from all its business divisions. This will support the increasing opportunities for companies, government agencies and individuals to co-develop innovative digital solutions in the Industrial IoT space. The Hub will also help expand the pipeline of digital-ready talent in Singapore.”
Sixty specialists from a variety of disciplines will work at the Hub at the outset. The number of digitalization experts is expected to reach 300 by the year 2022. The key target areas for the Hub are urban infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and healthcare.
Collaboration agreements
To mark the launch of the Siemens Digitalization Hub, three collaboration agreements were signed with Singapore partners.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) will partner with Siemens to create and showcase data-driven innovations for urban infrastructure, such as innovative mobility solutions based on self-driving vehicles, and advanced data analytics for optimizing the performance of green buildings.
SP Group will collaborate with Siemens to build a next-generation energy management software platform for SP’s 24/7 control centers, to enable more robust planning, surveillance and predictive maintenance of Singapore's electricity network. They will also create a multi-energy urban microgrid solution to help consumers save energy and cost.
The electronics arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, a leading technology, engineering and defence group; Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited (ST Electronics), and Siemens signed a partnership agreement to co-create and proactively market innovative digital use cases in the field of transportation (roads, harbors, airports and mass transit). The focus is on applications and solutions for connectivity, cybersecurity, data convergence, analytics and contextualization. These applications will use MindSphere to enable expansion into further market segments.