Half a billion in investments
Siemens wants to build an “industrial metaverse” in Erlangen
07/13/2023 3:16 p.m
Siemens wants to massively expand its investments worldwide. A total of two billion euros are to be invested between the USA, China, Singapore, Spain and Germany. Half a billion is said to flow to Erlangen alone.
Siemens is investing half a billion euros in its Digital Industries site in Erlangen. Together with projects that have already been announced, the planned investments in Germany add up to around one billion, as CEO Roland Busch said. Research and production capacities are to be expanded in Erlangen. This also creates new jobs – how many, however, Busch left open.
The location should thus become the core for the technology of the “industrial metaverse”, which should connect the real and virtual world. “We are revolutionizing the way we produce,” said Busch in the presence of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “The state-of-the-art production that is being built in Erlangen is a good example of how our economy is going into a climate-neutral future – as a strong industrial country with good sustainable jobs,” said Scholz, according to the text of the speech.
The demand for automation technology at Siemens is high. Production in the 50-year-old electronics factory in Erlangen is to be expanded by 60 percent. The area will also be expanded. “We invest in Germany because we believe that Germany has a digital future,” said CEO Busch. “That together we can take this economically unique ecosystem to the next level.”
Two billion euros worldwide
Siemens has announced an investment initiative of two billion euros worldwide, including the German projects. Part of it, including in the USA, China, Singapore and Spain, is already known. Siemens Healthineers is also counted.
In Germany, investments are already known in Forchheim in Franconia, in Frankfurt and others in Erlangen. The Franconian city is – if you count Healthineers – with around 20,000 employees the largest Siemens location in the world, as a spokesman said.
In view of the current debate about de-industrialization in Germany, Busch said that investing in Germany does not see oneself as a wrong-way driver. However, Siemens is not an energy-intensive company either: other factors such as talent, economic ecosystems or infrastructure are more important for the group. In Erlangen, too, most of the investment goes into expanding the plant’s capacity.