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.
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.
In many areas of the world, existing power infrastructure is stretched to the limit by growing demand for electricity. Reliable power supply systems are a major enabler of economic development, yet needs are growing at a pace faster than the ability to erect conventional power plants. The task at hand in these regions is to deploy efficient mobile power generating capacity quickly to fuel economic development. In some cases the need is temporary, and after some time the mobile power plant might be relocated to a different location to perform a similar duty.
Siemens has now specially developed its SGT-A45 TR gas turbine for this rapidly growing market – a new aero-derivative gas turbine integrated into a mobile unit that delivers an electrical output of up to 44 megawatts, can be installed and commissioned in less than two weeks and begin generating electricity immediately. This light-weight gas turbine offers outstanding power density, high fuel efficiency and good operational flexibility, making it an ideal choice for customers who urgently need power and regions with less developed infrastructures.
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.
Demonstrating the company's commitment to supporting Iraq's power sector, Siemens has expanded an existing service agreement with KAR Group in Iraq to provide comprehensive operations and maintenance (O&M) for two newly added SSC5-2000E power plant units at the Khormala plant in the Kurdistan region.The 930-megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired power plant meets nearly 30 percent of the power demand targeted by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), supplying more than four million Iraqi people with reliable electricity. The extension of the service agreement is set to improve operational flexibility, availability, and performance of gas turbines for the next 15 years.The agreement between Siemens and KAR Group aligns with Iraqi energy production goals. According to the Mena Power Report 2017, the current power demand in Iraq stands at 21GW and is growing faster than supply. The Kurdistan Regional Government plans to increase capacity by building new power plants and increasing the efficiency of existing facilities."With more than 20 years of experience in O&M of power plants, we currently manage approximately 2,800 MW across the Middle East and North Africa region and over 16,000 MW globally," said Gianluigi Di Giovanni, Senior Executive Vice President of Siemens Power Generation Services in the Middle East. "Our global resources and fleet expertise enable us to provide complete plant services and management. The plant is truly a landmark project, supporting the development goals of the Kurdistan region. That's why we are proud to expand our collaboration with KAR Group to deliver reliable and stable electricity supply to people's homes."The Khormala multi-year agreement with Siemens covers the operation and maintenance of six SGT5-2000E gas turbines, six SGen5-100A generators along with the associated auxiliary and ancillary systems. It also includes the implementation of Siemens Power Diagnostics®, which is part of the company's "Digital Services for Energy" portfolio, to improve asset visibility, reliability and availability.Siemens data-driven services enable valuable data from different assets to be analyzed. From there, data is transformed into actionable insights—such as diagnostics, troubleshooting and condition forecasting—that can help improve plant reliability and reduce downtime. In addition, the data processed by Siemens Power Diagnostics® can help balance maintenance costs, improve inspection intervals and provide invaluable insights into operational risks.Siemens has managed the operation and maintenance of Khormala since 2013 under a multi-year services agreement. Currently, the company has more than 40 personnel on-site managing the power plant on behalf of KAR Group.
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.