More than 100 years ago - on August 5, 1914 - the first electric traffic light went into operation, a milestone for traffic control. Today, it is hard to imagine a world without the redyellow-green signals. And the success story of the traffic lights is continuing with "1-watt technology". This achievement has enabled Siemens to revolutionize the market and improve the energy efficiency of standard 230 V LED technology by up to 85 percent, a huge benefit for tight city budgets and for the environment. Equipped with the new technology, a typical intersection with around 55 traffic signals (red - yellow - green) avoids more than 6,000 kilograms of harmful carbon emissions a year.
Over 100 years ago, on August 5, 1914, the first electric traffic light was installed on a city street in Cleveland, Ohio, marking a milestone in traffic management. Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz (photo), at that time the busiest intersection in Europe, installed the famous five-sided traffic light tower made by Siemens in 1924. Today the red-yellow-green signals are an integral part of city landscapes worldwide. On the outside, traffic lights haven’t changed much over the last decades. But inside a traffic light, groundbreaking changes have taken place. Traffic lights have become more intelligent over the years: modern traffic management takes into account the current traffic situation and optimizes traffic flow, for example, by allowing "green waves" or by prioritizing emergency vehicles, buses, and trams.
On October 12, 1847, Johann Georg Halske and Werner von Siemens founded Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske in Berlin. In doing so, they laid the foundation for a company that represents innovative strength, internationality, a focus on quality and customers, the ability to withstand crises, adaptability, and responsibility. These characteristics have turned a 10-man operation on Schöneberger St. 19 in Berlin into a successful global company that has written and is writing innovation and technology history.
Utmost reliability and maximum availability are critically important for ensuring the cost-efficient operation of rail vehicles and the infrastructure they use. After all, malfunctions and downtimes cost money, cause delays and frequently also lead to compensation claims from passengers, local transport purchasers and freight customers. Long before faults actually occur, their potential sources should be identified. To provide this information, Siemens is the first company in the rail industry to operate a special data analytics center, located in Munich, Germany.
Now things are getting down to business: following the initial test phase in the fall of 2016, the Siemens SiBike app is going live in Marburg. In the weeks between now and mid-November, dozens of cyclists will be subjecting this system – which gives priority to bicycles in city traffic – to a stress test that is taking place under realistic conditions. Beginning on October 5, 2017, SiBike is launching on a 700-meter stretch of the Erlenring road in Marburg, Germany. Dozens of volunteer "test pilots" will be helping optimize the "green wave" app. And beginning at the end of November, all Marburg residents will be able to download the SiBike app to their smartphones.
By the way: Marburg is a trendsetter. Since the project's successful start last year, numerous cities in Europe and the U.S. have already expressed interest in this technology.
Siemens China will lead the company's global research in autonomous robotics. As part of Siemens' innovation strategy to master technology fields that are critical for future success. The company announced the move on Siemens Innovation Day China 2017, which was held in Suzhou. A global research community comprising experienced experts from around the world will focus on the research and development of new mechatronics systems, human-robot collaboration and the application of artificial intelligence in robotic controllers. In line with this strategic move, Siemens has also entered into a partnership with Tsinghua University, one of Siemens' Center of Knowledge Interchange universities, to jointly set up a robotics research center in Beijing.
Siemens and The AES Corporation announced on July 11, 2017 their agreement to form a new global energy storage technology and services company under the name Fluence. The joint venture will deliver the Advancion and Siestorage energy storage platforms and will continue to develop new storage solutions and services. Fluence will empower customers around the world to better navigate the fragmented but rapidly growing energy storage sector and meet their pressing needs for scalable, flexible, and cost-competitive energy storage solutions. Its global headquarters will be located in the Washington, DC area with additional offices located in Erlangen, Germany and other cities worldwide. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2017, subject to regulatory and other approvals.
Singapore and Siemens aim to join forces in a drive to make the Southeast Asian city-state a "smart nation." As a result, Singapore will be the first country in the world to pilote MindSphere – Siemens' open, cloud-based operating system for the Internet of Things – to digitalize its infrastructure as much as possible. Siemens is supporting this master plan by setting up a digitalization hub. The hub was inaugurated on July 11, 2017 in parallel events in Singapore and at Siemens' headquarters in Munich: Armin Bruck, CEO of Siemens Singapore, opened the hub in Singapore while Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG, signed a symbolic plaque in Munich. At the Digitalization Hub, Siemens will develop and offer new digital applications.
After a six-year project period, including three years of construction work, the new Siemens headquarters building in Munich opened its doors on June 24, 2016. With about 45,000 square meters of aboveground floor space, the company has created a modern, inspiring work environment for about 1,200 employees. Environmental friendliness and energy efficiency play a key role here: the new building meets the world's highest sustainability standards. In 2010, Siemens and the city of Munich officially announced the launch of this innovative construction project and organized an architectural competition. The winning design, which was developed by the Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen Architects, skillfully combined tradition with the future. The historic Ludwig Ferdinand Palais and its adjacent building were renovated and seamlessly integrated into the new cutting-edge headquarters. Ever since the building opened in the summer of 2016, its ground floor and inner courtyards – with trees, a café, a restaurant and a water feature – have been publicly accessible. The new Siemens passageway creates a pedestrian corridor enabling Munich residents and visitors to stroll between the Bavarian capital's historic center and its museum district. The project was implemented by Siemens Real Estate, which is a leading corporate real estate company and is responsible for all of Siemens' real estate activities.
For many holiday-makers, a cruise on board a luxury liner is right up at the top of their wish list. No wonder that the leisure cruising market has been booming for many years. In the past year alone, more than 20 million cruise passengers embarked in locations around the world – and the trend is upwards. This year saw the launch of the Aida shipping company's ninth ship fitted out with automation technology from Siemens.