"We aim to accelerate the digitalization and sustainability in the CEA industry by partnering with system integrators, machine builders, and end customers worldwide, providing the necessary technology, know-how, and use cases to scale up," shares Rick Schneiders, Head of Future Food at Siemens.
Siemens is globally involved in the electrification, automation, and digitalization of the industry. However, not many might know that the multinational is trying to pave its way into CEA. How? Let's dive into it.
Bringing the industry together After visiting its Digital Experience Centre in The Hague, which highlights the company's involvement in key industries, CEA is the latest addition to the bunch. In short, The Digital Experience Centre showcases the capabilities of digital twin technology and serves as a hub for industrialization and operational technology environments, which can be visited on request.
"We want to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of CEA, bringing together diverse stakeholders to create a collaborative and standardized ecosystem that propels the industry forward into a new era of digitalization and sustainability," Rick concludes.
Stefania Stoccuto, Jan-Erik Ouwehand, and Rick Schneiders
Standardizing data collection and integration
"In CEA, many system integrators utilize various solutions, but Siemens brings a unique offering to the table. By integrating Siemens solutions, partners can streamline the integration process, particularly in vertical farms, where multiple processes need proper connectivity," Rick affirms.
Therefore, Siemens aims to standardize and enhance existing solutions, making them more applicable through better interfaces and farm management systems. This can be unlocked by using Siemens Digital Twin Technology. By standardizing data collection and integration, Rick points out that Siemens aims to drive the industry toward a more connected and data-driven future.
Building ecosystems for collaboration
As Jan-Erik Ouwehand, Head of Market Communications, explains, "Siemens is actively fostering collaboration within the industry, bringing together knowledge leaders to form ecosystems."
These collaborations extend to various partners, where Siemens collaborates with and provides the technical backbone for farm integration. "The goal is to create an open platform, allowing seamless data access and integration, moving away from closed, not interoperable systems."
Digitalize your farm with Siemens' digital platform
Easy access to use cases by the Xcelerator digital business platform
Advocating for open platforms and standardization to facilitate collaboration and drive innovation, Siemens is not only collaborating with specific industry giants but also with small and midsized companies, scale-ups, and startups that want to participate with their use cases in this open digital business platform, Xcelerator. "We are envisioning a future where an ecosystem of diverse companies share their knowledge to to scale up the best solutions for the industry."
The platform enables customers to accelerate their digital shift more easily, faster, and at scale, and numerous industries, such as buildings, the chemical industry, data centers, F&B, power utilities, transportation, and healthcare, are growing day by day. With this platform, Siemens likes to emphasize that this will play a massive role in efficient, safe, and sustainable food production thinking of the future of agriculture.
In addition to its robust hardware, Siemens is shifting its focus more and more to interoperable software and services. We will be committed to connecting partners through networks, creating exponential growth opportunities, and paving the way for autonomous crop growth through data-driven models."
For more information:
Siemens
Rick Schneiders, Head of Future Food
cea.nl@siemens.com
www.siemens.com