To promote Industry 4.0 (I.4), which integrates intelligent digital technologies with manufacturing and industrial processes, as well as e-mobility, the Department of Trade and Industry and German technology giant Siemens on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), aiming to explore areas of cooperation to address industrial and infrastructure sector requirements.
“In 2019, an MoU with DTI was signed to strengthen collaboration and facilitate technical, policy, and information exchanges in driving the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector,” according to Thai Lai Pham, president and CEO of Siemens ASEAN.
“I’m proud that this has resulted in a project for our Digital Industries business to conduct a feasibility study to conceptualize DTI’s Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory in 2022. And we’re here today, to sign a second MoU — this time to collaborate to establish this Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory.”
The highlight of the MoU for the industrial sector is developing the planned Industry 4.0 pilot factory.
The facility is envisioned to showcase digital and automation technologies that manufacturing companies, specifically micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, can access.
The factory was originally set for unveiling last year and houses advanced technologies like robotics, intelligence-of-things, drones, and virtual and augmented reality, among others.
P400-M factory
The initial cost of the said factory was pegged at P300 million to P400 million, to be funded by Siemens and Union Bank of the Philippines as DTI’s partners.
Also, Siemens and DTI will explore developing use cases of Artificial Intelligence applied in key manufacturing sectors such as food and beverage, electronics, semiconductors, chemicals, and automotive.
“As we renew our commitment to this partnership, we look forward to the limitless opportunities that lie ahead. We will embark on more transformative initiatives, driving our ambitions further and ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of industrial innovation.”
“Together, we will explore new frontiers in line with global trends such as the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence, along with the pressing need for embracing environmental sustainability,” Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, for his part, said.
Further, the DTI has also agreed to work with the technology company to promote sustainability in cities and municipalities in the Philippines, focusing on e-mobility infrastructure and smart power distribution.
The agreement came after DTI’s launch of a series of initiatives that promote e-vehicles, most notably the Electric Vehicle Incentives Scheme which aims to have four million locally manufactured EVs in the next 10 years.
Siemens Inc. was established in 1992 in the Philippines as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens AG, the industrial automation and infrastructure company headquartered in Munich, Germany.
The company holds a reputation as a technology partner in manufacturing, infrastructure, and transportation. In the industrial sector, it has been supporting the Philippine government in leading manufacturing companies in its digitalization journey.