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BUSINESS NEWS SIEMENS FURTHER EXPANDS FRONTIER PARTNER PROGRAM Combining Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial spirit with its own engineering expertise, Siemens announced that it will add a new focus in industrial augmented/ virtual reality to its startup Frontier Partner. The Frontier program currently supports startups in the areas of 3-D printing and robotics. “Digitalization is transforming industries across the globe, shortening innovation cycles even as products become more complex,” said Chuck Grindstaff, CEO and president, Siemens PLM Software. “We are helping our customers, in industries from autos to aerospace to consumer electronics, transform their operations. From ideation to realization and utilization, and from the top floor to the shop floor, our customers are creating digital enterprises with the most complete solution portfolio for digitalization in the industry. We’re proud to offer these same tools to Frontier Partner startups as they work to bring their own manufacturing-focused innovations to market.” There are 20 Frontier partners in 3-D printing and robotics, with more to be added with this announced expansion into augmented/virtual reality. The program supports startups in the product development phase. Startups receive a year-

long development license to a comprehensive suite of Siemens’ PLM software that enables them to develop the new product. Additionally participants have access to Siemens development mentors and other technology partners who utilize Siemens’ software. Some current examples: z Frustum is currently working to integrate its design optimization tools into Siemens’ NX software for integrated computer-aided design, manufacturing, and engineering analysis. This will allow Frustum’s tools to guide a designer toward the optimal shape of a 3-D metal part that could, for example, minimize part weight while maintaining part strength. The resulting part design may be 3-D-printed directly. z Identify 3D – a leader in software for the digital supply chain enabling companies to have the confidence that their intellectual property, processes, and products are both secure and aligned with established engineering standards – is collaborating with Siemens PLM Software and Siemens Motion Control business unit to secure part designs from CAD through to the final machined or printed part. This is a critical piece for any truly digital supply chain. The Frontier program is jointly managed by Siemens Technology to Business and Siemens

PLM Software. TTB is part of the Siemens Corporate Technology unit and is chartered with discovering and launching emerging technologies into profitable businesses. Siemens PLM Software is a leading global provider of digital software solutions that address areas such as product development, manufacturing, product data management, and manufacturing operations management. In addition to the more than $1 billion Siemens invests annually in the U.S. for research and development, this entrepreneurial initiative from Siemens is aimed at getting innovations to market quicker by building on existing, industry-proven tools. With a presence in Silicon Valley since the ‘50s, Siemens envisions a future where Silicon Valley companies will infuse the excitement and creativity seen in consumer-focused apps into industrial software. “Over the past year, Siemens has made many structural and organizational changes to access more innovation, both inside and outside the company,” said Chenyang Xu, general manager, Siemens Technology to Business, Berkeley. “The Frontier program is a great example of how Siemens is successfully working with many startups to bring their visionary technology to industrial scale and applicability which, in the end, benefits all of us.”

younger generation coming into the workforce. They aren’t just used to technology, it has been a natural part of their lives since they can remember. The generation of people entering the workforce now can’t imagine a world without fast computers, fast networks, lightning-fast data, and feel completely at home in a paperless world of 3-D modeling. If you’re going to recruit and retain the best and brightest of this generation, a workplace filled with the latest hardware and software is the expectation. Our latest technology investment is a new drone for topographic surveys. We applied for an FAA exemption to operate a drone, and after enduring a nine-month approval process, were approved. The new drone arrived a couple of weeks ago, and our guys had their first training flights last week. Why did we buy this? Besides the cool factor (and yes, it’s cool), we expect it to allow us to produce topo surveys for certain clients in a much shorter timeframe, and our clients are already asking for the service. “We’re going supersonic, Mav!” MATT CRAFTON is president and CEO of Crafton Tull, an architecture, engineering, and surveying firm based in Rogers, Arkansas. He can be reached at matt.crafton@craftontull.com. “If you’re going to recruit and retain the best and brightest of this generation, a workplace filled with the latest hardware and software is the expectation.”

MATT CRAFTON, from page 9

a technology friendly company since the time of our founders. We’ve leaned out pretty far on some new technologies over the past couple of decades, and more often than not it has worked out well for us. We’ve been able to translate those investments into new business for us and better service and products for our clients. We’ve developed such a technology culture that sometimes I have to remind people in our company that we don’t just buy new technologies because we like to play with new toys or because we’re “tech junkies.” We invest in those things to help us be faster and more accurate; characteristics we should be able to capitalize on to sell our services more effectively. If you can’t see a way for the technology to make you more profitable and/or more marketable, why buy it? “The generation of people entering the workforce now can’t imagine a world without fast computers, fast networks, lightning-fast data, and feel completely at home in a paperless world of 3-D modeling.”

One other reason to stay invested in new technology is that your people expect it. This is particularly true for the

THE ZWEIG LETTER August 22, 2016, ISSUE 1165

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