Tech giant Siemens is investing $447m worth of industrial software at UWA for academics and students to use to “boost local innovation” in local industries including energy, engineering and shipbuilding. Projects include a “virtual twin” of an LNG plant. Eric May from the university’s Centre for Energy says the whole project will allows UWA “to deliver education across all engineering disciplines in a completely new way.

This Siemens announcement follows the company’s commitment of $135m in manufacturing software to Swinburne University in August ( CMM August 15).

There is speculation that Siemens has industrial software valued at $400m to give to other Australian universities.