Global technology giant Siemens has chosen the University of Sheffield to be in its top tier of innovation partners, as part of its new global research and innovation ecosystems.
The new Research and Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) have seen Siemens evolve its strategic engagement programme with universities to include, for the first time, seven UK universities in its top tier of innovation partnerships. These include the universities of Sheffield, Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and Newcastle University.
Made up of 16 regions around the world, two of which are in the UK, each ecosystem includes universities, Siemens companies, research institutes, catapult centres, innovation start-ups, creative individuals, business partners and customers, all collaborating to create, scale, and deliver ground-breaking technologies and services to market in the shortest possible time and with maximum impact.
The seven UK universities have been selected because they share Siemens’ core interests in digital industries, smart infrastructure, eMobility, and core technologies, and they’ve been assessed as being in the top 10 leading global institutions for one or more of the fields of interest to Siemens for collaboration. Sheffield’s research remit in the new ecosystems will be around the future of manufacturing.
Carl Ennis, CEO of Siemens UK, said: “This is an important recognition by our global business that UK universities have a lot to offer in innovation, ingenuity and creativity. These universities have demonstrated that they are more than capable of leading and participating in collaborative projects locally and globally.”
The University of Sheffield has a longstanding relationship with Siemens, which has seen it partner with the company on a range of projects to develop pioneering solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing the UK and the rest of the world.