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Siemens Innovation Day 2017 – Unlock the potential with digitalization

Munich, 15 December 2017

Press and Analyst Event

Siemens further expands its leadership role in industrial digitalization 

Siemens is the first company worldwide to set up 20 centers for digital customer applications in the industrial sector. Each of these MindSphere Application Centers for digital offerings from Siemens spans multiple locations in different countries and specializes in a particular industry in which Siemens is active. During fiscal 2017, Siemens further extended its lead in software solutions and digital services. Revenue from digital technologies, for instance, rose to €5.2 billion – of which €4 billion was attributable to software and €1.2 billion to digital services. This corresponds to a 20-percent increase year-over-year and means that Siemens clearly outpaced market growth of about eight percent. To further accelerate the innovation process, Siemens will again increase its research and development (R&D) expenditures in fiscal 2018 and invest an additional sum of around €450 million. As a result, R&D spending will increase from about €5.2 billion in fiscal 2017 to over €5.6 billion in fiscal 2018. More than €3 billion of the company’s R&D outlays flowed into Germany in fiscal 2017. Since 2014, Siemens’ R&D investments have risen by about 40 percent.

Further Information

Event Pictures: Siemens Innovation Day 2017

Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Joe Kaeser, President and Chief Executive Officer Siemens AG: "We're expanding our lead in industrial digitalization."
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
"Scaling up solutions and expanding business even further," said Roland Busch, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Joe Kaeser, President and Chief Executive Officer Siemens AG and Roland Busch, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG: Siemens is gaining further momentum in digitalization and is the first company worldwide to set up 20 centers for digital customer applications in the industrial sector. Each of these MindSphere Application Centers for digital offerings from Siemens spans multiple locations in different countries and specializes in a particular industry in which Siemens is active.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Jan Mrosik, CEO of Digital Factory Division, Siemens AG, talked with several customers about using MindSphere.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Jan Mrosik, CEO of Digital Factory Division, Siemens AG, talked with several customers about using MindSphere.

In the picture (from left): Jan Mrosik, CEO of Digital Factory Division, Siemens AG; Hagen Gehringer, Managing Director, Bausch+Ströbel; John-Paul O'Meara, Vice President Strategy, adidas; Bernd Zapf, Head of Development New Business &Technology, HELLER; and on the screen Simon Kirby, Chief Operating Officer, Rolls-Royce.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Building Technologies: Zsolt Sluitner (r.), head of Siemens Real Estate, and Matthias Rebellius (l.), CEO at Building Technologies, explained how Siemens itself is using digital solutions for buildings.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Joe Kaeser, President and Chief Executive Officer Siemens AG: "We're expanding our lead in industrial digitalization.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
R&D Exhibition - The CityAirbus is scheduled to take off by the end of 2018. Siemens is providing the electric drive system - shown in a virtual view here.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
R&D Exhibition - Interactive 3D Simulation combined with New Human Interfaces.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
R&D Exhibition - Digitalization in Machine Building.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Energy Management: How smart electric meters help optimize the grid - Ralf Christian (3.f.l.) from Energy Management, talked with several customers.
Siemens Innovation Day 2017 at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Mobility: Gerhard Kress (m.), head of the MindSphere Application Center at Mobility in Munich-Allach, and Mobility CEO Michael Peter (r.) pointed out the advantages of digital services for the rail industry.

Siemens honors the 14 "Inventors of the Year" 2017

Siemens honors 13 of its own researchers and an external scientist as "Inventors of the Year 2017." The scientists from Germany, Austria, the United States and Denmark have registered a total of 1,297 inventions. Many of these ideas, namely 920, have been granted individual patents. Three teams are among this year's winners, a fact that demonstrates that innovation is usually a joint effort today. "Siemens invested EUR 5.6 billion in research and development during this fiscal year, the largest amount of money it has ever spent in this area. This money is well invested, too. It flows directly into our fields of innovation and secures the future of our businesses. We are proud of our Inventors of the Year: They perfectly reflect the tradition established by an entrepreneur and inventor like Werner von Siemens," CEO Joe Kaeser says. The award Inventor of the Year has been presented since 1995. This year's categories are "Talent," "Outstanding Invention, "Open Innovation" and "Lifetime Achievement."

Press Pictures of the Inventors 2017

Siemens honors the Inventors of the Year 2017

Fourteen researchers with 1300 inventions (from left to right): Bernd Burbaum; Benjamin Lutz; Beat Weibel, Head of Siemens Intellectual Property; Friederich Kupzog; Andreas Lugmaier; Roland Busch, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG; Thorkil Munk-Hansen; Markus Vester; Michael Zenge; Michaela Schmidt; Mariappan Nadar; Edgar Müller; Steffen Udluft; Volkmar Sterzing; Dr. Arquimedes Martinez Canedo und Dr. Florian Bühs.

Benjamin Lutz - Inventors of the Year 2017

Inventor Benjamin Lutz (40) continuously works at Process Industries and Drives in Karlsruhe to improve the Siemens control system called PCS 7. This control system manages highly complex process-industry facilities that automatically produce items like nose spray or chocolate-covered popsicles. The main objective of all innovations: The unit must operate without interruption. For this reason, Lutz tests all of his inventions in a digital twin of the system. The Inventor of the Year is being honored in the Talent category.

Markus Vester - Inventors of the Year 2017

The pioneering days of MRI systems were exciting times for Markus Vester (59) of Siemens Healthineers in Erlangen, and the specialist for high frequency technology has retained his passion for invention throughout his career. Most of his 370 patents are connected with the transmitting/receiving units in MRI scanners. High resolution images in the shortest-possible scan time – this is the area where Vester's research has made a valuable contribution. Integrating new technologies in an economically sensible way is another of his research responsibilities. For this work, he has won the award as Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Lifetime Achievement category.

Bernd Burbaum - Inventors of the Year 2017

Bernd Burbaum (40) has developed a new laser welding process that makes it possible to repair expensive gas turbine blades so they are as good as new. A further benefit is that the blades no longer need to be heated before being laser-welded. Burbaum, who works in Berlin at Siemens Power and Gas, is convinced that new welding processes still offer a lot of potential for innovation. For this work, Burbaum has been named Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Talent category.

Thorkil Munk-Hansen - Inventors of the Year 2017

Thorkil Munk-Hansen (55) is the head designer at Siemens Gamesa in Vejle, Denmark. It is his job to arrange the many components and systems of a wind turbine in such a way that the turbine will reliably operate for a period of 25 years and can be easily maintained. During the design process, the inventor has to plan all life cycles of a wind turbine in advance: How can it be cost effectively produced and transported? And how can service technicians have the easiest-possible access to components that require maintenance? There is a lot left to invent in this relatively new industry, which is why Munk Hansen has received 116 individual patents in his nine years with the company. For this, Munk-Hansen has won the award as Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Lifetime Achievement category.

Michaela Schmidt, Michael Zenge, Mariappan Nadar, Edgar Mueller - Inventors of the Year 2017

Within the space of only nine years, the Healthineers team made up of Edgar Mueller (60), Mariappan Nadar (52), Michaela Schmidt (48) and Michael Zenge (41) managed to take basic mathematical research and turn it into a new image acquisition technology for MRI scans. With the help of their compressed sensing technology, the time required to scan a beating heart can be slashed from six minutes to 25 seconds. As a result, patients no longer have to hold their breath for long periods of time in order to obtain sharp images. For their work, the researchers who work in Erlangen and Princeton, New Jersey (USA), have been named Inventors of the Year in the Outstanding Invention category.

Friederich Kupzog, Andreas Lugmaier - Inventors of the Year 2017

Strong together: Andreas Lugmaier (43) of Siemens Corporate Technology in Vienna and Friederich Kupzog (39) of the Austrian Institute of Technology have been jointly exploring the integration of renewable energies in electrical grids for several years now. They test the technologies they invent for smart grids in Vienna's new district Seestadt Aspern. One example of their work is a software that analyzes grid data and recognizes which path the electricity takes in the low-voltage grid – that is, on the "last mile" to the energy customer. For this research, Lugmaier and Kupzog have been honored as Inventors of the Year 2017 in the Open Innovation category.

Arquimedes Canedo - Inventors of the Year 2017

Digital twins are the research area being explored by Arquimedes Canedo (36) of Siemens Corporate Technology in Princeton, New Jersey (USA). The digital twin of a product provides many benefits in automation and control: The twin, in virtual form, accompanies the product throughout its life cycle, starting with the idea and extending through production, maintenance and even disposal, which creates more efficiency on all levels. A digital graph devised by Arquimedes Canedo automatically links different digital twins to one another. For this, Canedo has been named Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Talent category.

Florian Bühs - Inventors of the Year 2017

Inventor Florian Bühs (40) of Siemens Mobility in Berlin had one particular thought in mind when he was working on the architecture for a pantograph to be used by commercial vehicles: better air for his children. With the eHighway, an electrified superhighway, cities and regions can lower their nitrogen oxide emissions. In Los Angeles, trucks equipped with pantographs developed by Bühs have been operating on a test road between the city's harbor and freeway. The harbor is one of the most heavily used ports in the United States. As a result, the number of trucks hauling freight from ships is correspondingly high. For his innovative work, the researcher has been named Inventor of the Year in the Talent category.

Volkmar Sterzing, Steffen Udluft - Inventors of the Year 2017

Working together, Volkmar Sterzing (53) (left) and Steffen Udluft (48) of Siemens Corporate Technology in Munich-Perlach developed the world's first method for reinforcement learning. It is a process that uses just a few data to teach machines to regulate complex processes on their own. The first area of application is regulating large Siemens gas turbines in the United States and South Korea. The continuous fine-tuning of the combustion valves has optimized gas turbine operations in terms of emissions and wear by constantly searching for the best solution in real time. For this work, both researchers were named Inventors of the Year 2017 in the Outstanding Invention category.

Videos

Siemens honors 14 researchers who account for 1,300 inventions

Siemens has honored 14 particularly resourceful researchers as Inventors of the Year 2017. Together, these scientists are responsible for some 1,300 inventions and 920 patents. Nine of the inventors are from Germany, two are from Austria, one is from Denmark and two others are from the United States. Their inventions range from a solution for the digital power grids of tomorrow to technologies that substantially improve medical diagnostics and extend all the way to current collectors that enable all-electric drive for conventional trucks.   In fiscal 2017, Siemens filed around 3,650 patents worldwide - an increase of 150 patents over the previous year. Worldwide, Siemens holds about 63,000 patents. In fiscal 2017, Siemens employees submitted about 7,450 invention disclosures. On a basis of 220 workdays during the year, this figure corresponds to about 34 inventions per day.

Markus Vester: Inventor of the Year 2017

The pioneering days of MRI systems were exciting times for Markus Vester (59) of Siemens Healthineers in Erlangen, and the specialist for high frequency technology has retained his passion for invention throughout his career. Most of his 370 patents are connected with the transmitting/receiving units in MRI scanners. High resolution images in the shortest-possible scan time - this is the area where Vester's research has made a valuable contribution. Integrating new technologies in an economically sensible way is another of his research responsibilities. For this work, he has won the award as Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Lifetime Achievement category.

Thorkil Munk-Hansen: Inventor of the Year 2017

Thorkil Munk-Hansen (55) is the head designer at Siemens Gamesa in Vejle, Denmark. It is his job to arrange the many components and systems of a wind turbine in such a way that the turbine will reliably operate for a period of 25 years and can be easily maintained. During the design process, the inventor has to plan all life cycles of a wind turbine in advance: How can it be cost effectively produced and transported? And how can service technicians have the easiest-possible access to components that require maintenance? There is a lot left to invent in this relatively new industry, which is why Munk Hansen has received 116 individual patents in his nine years with the company. For this, Munk-Hansen has won the award as Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Lifetime Achievement category.

Arquimedes Canedo: Inventor of the Year 2017

Digital twins are the research area being explored by Arquimedes Canedo (36) of Siemens Corporate Technology in Princeton, New Jersey (USA). The digital twin of a product provides many benefits in automation and control: The twin, in virtual form, accompanies the product throughout its life cycle, starting with the idea and extending through production, maintenance and even disposal, which creates more efficiency on all levels. A digital graph devised by Arquimedes Canedo automatically links different digital twins to one another. For this, Canedo has been named Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Talent category.

Benjamin Lutz: Inventor of the Year 2017

Inventor Benjamin Lutz (40) continuously works at Process Industries and Drives in Karlsruhe to improve the Siemens control system called PCS 7. This control system manages highly complex process-industry facilities that automatically produce items like nose spray or chocolate-covered popsicles. The main objective of all innovations: The unit must operate without interruption. For this reason, Lutz tests all of his inventions in a digital twin of the system. The Inventor of the Year is being honored in the Talent category.

Florian Bühs: Inventor of the Year 2017

Inventor Florian Bühs (40) of Siemens Mobility in Berlin had one particular thought in mind when he was working on the architecture for a pantograph to be used by commercial vehicles: better air for his children. With the eHighway, an electrified superhighway, cities and regions can lower their nitrogen oxide emissions. In Los Angeles, trucks equipped with pantographs developed by Bühs have been operating on a test road between the city's harbor and freeway. The harbor is one of the most heavily used ports in the United States. As a result, the number of trucks hauling freight from ships is correspondingly high. For his innovative work, the researcher has been named Inventor of the Year in the Talent category.

Bernd Burbaum: Inventor of the Year 2017

Bernd Burbaum (40) has developed a new laser welding process that makes it possible to repair expensive gas turbine blades so they are as good as new. A further benefit is that the blades no longer need to be heated before being laser-welded. Burbaum, who works in Berlin at Siemens Power and Gas, is convinced that new welding processes still offer a lot of potential for innovation. For this work, Burbaum has been named Inventor of the Year 2017 in the Talent category.

Volkmar Sterzing, Steffen Udluft: Inventors of the Year 2017

Working together, Volkmar Sterzing (53) and Steffen Udluft (48) of Siemens Corporate Technology in Munich-Perlach developed the world's first method for reinforcement learning. It is a process that uses just a few data to teach machines to regulate complex processes on their own. The first area of application is regulating large Siemens gas turbines in the United States and South Korea. The continuous fine-tuning of the combustion valves has optimized gas turbine operations in terms of emissions and wear by constantly searching for the best solution in real time. For this work, both researchers were named Inventors of the Year 2017 in the Outstanding Invention category.

Michaela Schmidt, Michael Zenge, Mariappan Nadar, Edgar Mueller: Inventors of the Year 2017

Within the space of only nine years, the Healthineers team made up of Edgar Mueller (60), Mariappan Nadar (52), Michaela Schmidt (48) and Michael Zenge (41) managed to take basic mathematical research and turn it into a new image acquisition technology for MRI scans. With the help of their compressed sensing technology, the time required to scan a beating heart can be slashed from six minutes to 25 seconds. As a result, patients no longer have to hold their breath for long periods of time in order to obtain sharp images. For their work, the researchers who work in Erlangen and Princeton, New Jersey (USA), have been named Inventors of the Year in the Outstanding Invention category.

Friederich Kupzog, Andreas Lugmaier: Inventors of the Year 2017

Strong together: Andreas Lugmaier (43) of Siemens Corporate Technology in Vienna and  Friederich Kupzog (39) of the Austrian Institute of Technology have been jointly exploring the integration of renewable energies in electrical grids for several years now. They test the technologies they invent for smart grids in Vienna's new district Seestadt Aspern. One example of their work is a software that analyzes grid data and recognizes which path the electricity takes in the low-voltage grid - that is, on the "last mile" to the energy customer. For this research, Lugmaier and Kupzog have been honored as Inventors of the Year 2017 in the Open Innovation category.

Further Information

Joe Kaeser

President and CEO

Roland Busch

Member of the Managing Board and Chief Technology Officer

Contact

Florian Martini

Siemens AG

+49 (89) 636-33446

Links to this page
www.siemens.com/press/inno2017
www.siemens.com/press/inventors2017