FAMU receives $85M in-kind software grant from Siemens PLM Software

(From left to right) FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Professors Okenwa Okoli, Tarik Dickens, Dean Yaw Yeboah, Interim President Larry Robinson, Siemens Director of Global Community Relations Hulas King and Vice President of University Advancement Thomas Haynes.

Yesterday, FAMU announced it received an in-kind software grant from Siemens Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software, with a commercial value of more than $85 million.

The in-kind grant gives students access to the same technology that companies around the world depend on every day to develop innovative products in a wide variety of industries, including: automotive, aerospace, machinery, shipbuilding and high-tech electronics.

Graduates with this type of software training are highly-recruited candidates for advanced technology jobs.

“As product complexity continues to grow, students who are able to use PLM software technology are expected to be highly recruited,” said Bill Boswell, Siemens PLM Software senior director of partner strategy. “Siemens PLM Software is honored to have Florida A&M University as one of our academic partners to help build the next generation of engineers.”

The in-kind grant was provided by Siemens PLM Software’s academic program that delivers PLM software technology to more than one million students yearly at more than 12,000 global institutions. The software provided is used at every academic level – from grade schools to graduate engineering research programs.

Siemens PLM Software is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services with 7 million licensed seats and more than 71,000 customers worldwide, delivering open solutions to help its customers make smarter decisions that result in better products.

The in-kind grant for FAMU includes Siemens PLM Software’s Teamcenter® portfolio, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management software; Tecnomatix® portfolio, the industry-leading digital manufacturing software; NX™ software, a leading integrated solution for computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) and the Fibersim™ portfolio of software for composites engineering.

According to FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Professor Tarik Dickens, participating in the Siemens partnership and grant program is not only an opportunity for FAMU to provide world-class training and resources for its students and faculty, but also an opportunity to help address the growing opportunities and challenges in the manufacturing industry.

“This generous gift will provide engineering students with state-of-the-art software for digital manufacturing, thus making our students more attractive to the industry and providing a greater academic platform,” said Dickens, who completed the research and grant application for the Siemens academic partnership on behalf of the university. “This partnership is vital in training our engineers as they enter the workforce, and thus enabling them to continue the push for engineering excellence.”

According to Vice President for University Advancement Thomas Haynes, the in-kind grant award from Siemens will be a key component in continuing FAMU's mission to produce world-class innovators in the STEM areas.

“This landmark partnership with Siemens will be a great asset to FAMU’s continued quest to be the best in its class when it comes to supporting faculty and their work, as well as developing students with cutting-edge skills and technology access,” Haynes said. “This partnership helps to position FAMU to support Florida’s growing manufacturing sector and to become a world leader in meeting the growing needs of employers and preparing students for significant, high-paying STEM careers.”