Siemens opens MindSphere Application Center in Ontario to scale digitalization

Siemens Canada has opened the MindSphere Application Center (MAC) at its headquarters in Oakville, Ont., which the company says will help customers on their digital transformation journey.

This is the first centre of its kind in North America to focus specifically on smart energy grids, intelligent buildings and industry digitalization solutions serving transmission system operators, distribution system operators, utilities, industry partners, smart building operators and other infrastructure entities.

The Siemens MAC brings together local and global Siemens expertise and customer references with an expansive Siemens software portfolio and technologies in asset-specific software applications, digital twins, cloud-based platforms, advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI).

By using AI and analytics, the goal of the MAC is to turn actionable insights and assessments into evidence-based value add for potential full-scale future deployment in Canada.

Siemens also operates competency centres for cybersecurity and smart grid in Fredericton, N.B. Together, the centres will work with customers and partners to incubate and accelerate proof-of-concept solutions using data from various connected assets.

Pilot solutions will focus on maximizing operational uptime, optimizing processes, increasing visualization, allowing for predictive and prescriptive analytical solutions, improving asset management and addressing customer efficiency and sustainability goals.

“The MindSphere Application Center will support the digital transformation of the utility, infrastructure and industry in Canada by bringing people and expertise together, harnessing data and testing critical solutions,” says Faisal Kazi, president and CEO, Siemens Canada.

“The centre will help to de-risk the innovation process by providing our partners access to experts and technologies to think big in a secure space while exponentially increasing the scale and speed of their solutions.”

Siemens Canada marked the opening with a virtual inauguration on Mar. 29 that included remarks from François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry.

“Collaboration and knowledge sharing are integral to promoting innovation, and I have no doubt that having a MAC on Canadian ground will be beneficial to our entrepreneurs across the country,” said Champagne.