Siemens has embarked on an important journey to realize the potential of the industrial metaverse, starting with a firm commitment to the announced €2 billion investment strategy. As part of this venture, the company is committing approximately €1 billion to improving Germany’s innovative strength, significantly boosting the country’s technological advancement in an industrial metaverse.
The industrial metaverse, a virtual world that mirrors real-world industrial activity, is making waves in the modern tech landscape. It provides a photo-realistic, physics-based, real-time representation of real-world manufacturing processes, creating a digital twin of factories and equipment. The industrial metaverse enables more sustainable, adaptable, and advanced manufacturing capabilities using AI and integration of real-time physical data.
Global R&D hub for the industrial metaverse
In the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, commitment to this emerging field was recently demonstrated when the company announced its plans to establish a new technology campus in Erlangen, Germany.
With a planned investment of approximately €500 million, Siemens is expanding its development and production capabilities at this location. The goal is to transform Erlangen into a global research and development center, serving as the epicenter of global technology activity for the industrial metaverse. This strategic initiative will catalyze Siemens’ growth, drive innovation and strengthen its resilience.
Investing in the future of advanced manufacturing
The investment announced by Siemens is part of a broader global investment strategy unveiled last month, which focuses primarily on expanding production capacity, establishing innovation labs, creating training centers and further strengthening Siemens’ operations worldwide. . This strategy underlines Siemens’ loyalty to the Nuremberg metropolitan region.
Currently, the Erlangen location employs approximately 3,500 people. It is home to a world-class factory that produces critical industrial automation and digitization products. The production processes in Erlangen are already highly automated, with human and robotic forces working together. With this recent investment, Siemens aims to create a blueprint for the industrial metaverse, laying the foundation for the future of high-tech manufacturing that responds sustainably and flexibly to market changes.
A digital leap towards sustainable production
In the words of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “This investment sends a strong signal for Germany as a location for innovation and production. The leading manufacturing facility built in Erlangen is a good example of how our economy is moving towards a climate neutral future – a strong industrial country with good sustainable jobs.”
Roland Busch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, reaffirmed the company’s commitment, saying: “Siemens is committed to innovation in Germany and starting the next phase of digitization: we are laying the foundations for the industrial metaverse in the Nuremberg metropolitan region . . Here, on the new campus, we combine the real and the digital world.”
With the forthcoming Technology Campus built in western Erlangen, Siemens continues to confidently move into the future of the industrial metaverse, shaping the next phase of high-tech manufacturing and setting new standards for sustainable industrial practices.