UniSA-Siemens partners in the possible

Our university has sometimes been accused of having imagination. We do. We imagine what it would be like if industry, government and higher education collectively took responsibility forgrowing the economy.

UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd. Picture: Creolumen Photography

OUR university has sometimes been accused of having imagination. We do. We imagine what it would be like if industry, government and higher education collectively took responsibility for growing the economy.

What if we decided to co-create a future that was economically sustainable offered real value to the community?

Partnerships have defined UniSA, in the 27 years since our foundation and as we rose to become one of the world’s very best young universities.

We partner with innovative businesses to co-create successful outcomes. We work with our partners to refine the theory of what we teach.

Through our partners, our students can put what they learn into practice – providing the kind of experiences that deliver work-ready graduates.

Through partnership we co-create a future that benefits us all. This week, through partnership, we received a game-changing donation from international software giant, Siemens.

Almost half a billion dollars’ worth of advanced industrial software which, in our hands, will ensure our students can step seamlessly into the new environment of industry 4.0.

At a time when South Australia needs it most, this partnership will underpin skills development to cover end-to-end needs, from the formation of ideas to design, and to lead innovation at the cutting-edge of industrial and manufacturing innovation.

Significantly with this capability, our students acquire the skills and tools to drive SA’s future as the nation’s defence industry hub. They will be equipped to help the state and the nation prepare for future growth underpinned by digital technology. And it’s not just our students getting experience in this new industrial revolution of cyber physical systems, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and cognitive computing that will be the base of advanced manufacturing.

Our researchers across space, mining, environment, defence and biomedical technology will be able to model and prototype new ideas.

When they have at their disposal improved automation, machine-to-machine and human-to-machine communication, artificial intelligence, continued technological improvements and digitalisation in manufacturing – when they find new ways to use global engineering and manufacturing platforms – they will be even better equipped to imagine and to ask the biggest question: what if?

UniSA is Australia’s “university of enterprise”. We deliver by understanding that our way is not the only way, by seeing opportunities and possibilities.

We deliver by harnessing the enormous power of partnership to make the co-creation of a prosperous future a reality.

Professor David Lloyd is UniSA Vice-Chancellor.