Siemens PLM Software made the series of grants to 393 Japanese schools over the past 5 years. As a result of its investment and partnership with Japanese schools, 36,000 undergraduate and graduate college and university students now have direct access to Siemens PLM Software's world-class PLM software.

"Education and training are critical factors in maintaining Japan's economic leadership in the world," said Dr. Tamotsu Murakami, professor, Design Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering Synthesis, the University of Tokyo. "We salute Siemens PLM Software for their work in the engineering and manufacturing fields and we know that the training our students receive is top notch. Students who receive educational training on 3D CAD systems have clear advantages. These students are given chances to be engaged in the real work and earn unsurpassed experiences during internship opportunities they may have prior to graduation and, in turn, receive advanced standing placement within companies as they begin their careers."

Technologists and engineers at many leading companies already use the skills and knowledge they acquired through training on Siemens PLM Software's technology in their product innovation efforts.

"It requires some practice to get used to the CAD software at a company if it is different from what you have been trained on at school," said Hideki Miyamoto, Tokyo University graduate and now a member of a leading machinery manufacturer in Japan. "The ample experience I had using 3D CAD at the University of Tokyo proved beneficial when carrying out design work at my job."

"We recognize the need for a skilled workforce -- it's a global need that we want to help manufacturers actively address," said Hans-Kurt Lubberstedt, senior vice president and managing director, Asia Pacific, Siemens PLM Software. "We are committed to our partnership with Japan's leading engineering schools to help develop world-class engineers and technologists. We're proud to be involved in their strong academic curricula and we're glad to see so many students experiencing success following graduation."

Siemens PLM Software offers grants through its Global Opportunities in Product Lifecycle Management (GO PLM(TM)) initiative, which leads the PLM industry in the commercial value of in-kind grants it provides at more than US$4 billion annually. The company's GO PLM initiative brings together five complementary programs focused on academic partnerships; community relations; regional productivity; youth and displaced worker development; and the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) program. The initiative provides PLM technology to more than 930,000 students annually at nearly 9,100 global institutions, where it is used at every academic level -- from grade schools to graduate engineering research programs.

Source: Siemens PLM Software