The Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry, Inc., announced today it has pledged $1.55 million to the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) as part of a multi-year, strategic and collaborative partnership to support research and other initiatives in support of sustainability and energy efficiency in buildings.
“This collaboration among Siemens, the federal government, and Syracuse University takes cross-sector partnership to a new level,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “Not only will each partner in this community of experts—and the public—benefit, but the Center of Excellence will become a test bed with smart technology literally embedded within the walls of this model facility, giving our faculty and students extraordinary opportunities to integrate discovery and learning while making a difference in the world.”
“For more than 150 years the name ‘Siemens’ has been synonymous with global innovation,” said Dr. Christoph Vogel, vice president and head of the Division’s Control Products and Systems Business Unit, “and this is especially true when it comes to environmental responsibility and improving the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings. We are thrilled to be supporting the Syracuse Center of Excellence and excited about the potential impact our contribution will have on the building industry as a whole.”
SyracuseCoE works to accelerate the creation of environmental and energy innovations for a sustainable future, engaging collaborators at more than 200 companies and institutions to address global challenges in clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, and water resources. Members conduct targeted research, demonstrate new technologies, commercialize innovations, and educate the workforce.“This strategic partnership between Siemens and SyracuseCoE is an excellent example of how collaboration between industry and academia will help us take the next step toward a sustainable future,” said Ed Bogucz, executive director, SyracuseCoE. “We thank Siemens for making this investment toward innovative solutions that will make buildings healthier and more energy efficient.”
The scope of the strategic partnership agreement with Siemens allows SyracuseCoE and its regional stakeholders the opportunity to chart a vision and create a roadmap for sustainable building development, execute specific research projects and now engage Siemens’ global network of innovation through the participation of Siemens Corporate Research located in Princeton, NJ. Further, Siemens will directly support the maintenance and efficient operation of the nearly completed SyracuseCoE headquarters facility from its branch office in Syracuse. Locally, the branch employs 75 people and is joined regionally by another 235 employees serving upstate New York and Vermont.
SyracuseCoE’s focus on building energy efficiency through the application of automation and control technologies is central to its collaboration with Siemens. According to Dr. Osman Ahmed, the Global Head of Research and Innovation for the Building Technologies Division, “The infusion of high-value global research and innovation and direct, local, hands-on support create a unique opportunity to provide a dynamic, living research platform that will guide and support our development of new control and sensing technologies ready to meet the needs of existing and emerging markets.”