US company Siemens Digital Industries Software (Siemens), part of the Germany-based major multinational Siemens technology group, and the Air sector of the UK-based global major aerospace and defence group BAE Systems, have entered into a five-year partnership to collaborate in the acceleration of digital innovation. This was the latest development in the close relationship between the two groups, which dated back some 20 years.

Under this new partnership between the two groups, the latest digital technology from Siemens’ Xcelerator open business platform would be deployed, through BAE Systems’ FalconWorks research and development business, to transform the group’s Air sector manufacturing and engineering processes. This transformation would be achieved through digital technology. Further, digital capabilities would also be employed throughout the lifecycles of programmes.

“This agreement builds on a well-established, successful collaboration between BAE Systems and Siemens, companies which share ambitions to promote manufacturing careers and innovation,” pointed out Siemens Digital Industries UK MD Brian Holliday. “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, ecosystem thinking and a digital marketplace. The principle is that by working together in a focused way, we can accelerate the time to business and sustainability benefits through technology.”

Under the agreement, the two companies would work together regionally and internationally. The collaboration would cover the areas of sustainability, industrial digitalisation and supply chain modernisation. The aim was to create a framework which would permit the acceleration of commercial application benefits to BAE Systems, in the sphere of technology exploitation and adaptation.

“Collaborations like this help us develop and invest in digital thread enabling technologies in a much more integrated and seamless way,” explained BAE Systems technology capability delivery director Iain Minton. “Siemens understands 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.”