Siemens and BAE Systems are collaborating on digital transformation in engineering and manufacturing technologies throughout programme life-cycles.

The five-year agreement will develop a strategic blueprint for engineering of the future and factory of the future capabilities across design and manufacturing disciplines within BAE Systems.

The collaboration builds on a recent deployment by BAE Systems of Siemens’ NX software for product engineering and Teamcenter software for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software. The British aerospace manufacturer has also deployed edge computing and technology across multiple catapult and technology centres.

Siemens Digital Industries and BAE Systems will work together regionally and internationally in sustainability, industrial digitalisation, and supply chain modernisation. They will develop a framework to accelerate commercial application benefits to BAE Systems within technology exploitation and adaptation.

The framework for collaboration follows decades of successful partnership between the two companies. This has included the development and delivery of a range of Siemens’ technology, knowledge sharing between engineers and joint showcases of solutions at industry forums.

Siemens and BAE Systems will also continue previous initiatives to innovate and develop new approaches to digital manufacturing supporting the Factory of the Future initiative within BAE systems.

Iain Minton, technology capability delivery director at BAE Systems, said: “Collaborations like this help us develop and invest in digital thread enabling technologies in a much more integrated and seamless way. Siemens understand the complexities of our operating environment, so we can very quickly mature an idea to the point where it is put into practice, for example when we are looking to implement / optimise new engineering, support or manufacturing capabilities.  That’s the real value of this collaboration – the trust and understanding we have built together creates a really powerful force in driving results for the aerospace sector.”

Brian Holliday, managing director at Siemens Digital Industries in the UK and Ireland, said: “This agreement builds on a well-established, successful collaboration between BAE Systems and Siemens, companies which share ambitions to promote manufacturing careers and innovation. Technology is transforming manufacturing at an accelerated pace and we are proud to work with BAE Systems at the leading edge of Industry 4.0 in the UK.” 

“The partnership is a good example of Siemens’ broader vision for how we want to work with customers via Siemens Xcelerator, which is built on digital portfolio, eco-system thinking and a digital marketplace. The principle is that by working together in a focussed way, we can accelerate the time to business and sustainability benefits through technology.”