(190e) Siemens' Training Initiative in Developing Modelling Skills for Chemical Engineering Graduates

Digitalization and analytics have become an intrinsic part of industry, which subsequently, has resulted in an increase in the demand for highly skilled professionals. Additionally, novel sustainable technologies require the development of process models that are different from conventional unit operations. These higher requirements for better trained students have put pressure on Chemical Engineering faculties to revisit their academic programmes, in order to ensure that their graduate engineers have the necessary set of skills to face the many challenges in the modern world.

There is clear evidence of a gap between what industry requires and expects and what academia can provide. Siemens has been active in bridging this gap by collaborating with universities and facilitating teaching of modelling and simulation in academic programmes. Siemens partners with universities around the world by providing technical content and material that covers different topics such as mass and energy balances, separation methods, thermodynamics, flowsheeting, optimization, among others. This material is modular and flexible so lecturers can incorporate modelling topics throughout the curriculum without taking time away from fundamentals or replacing any other content. Siemens has seen different levels of success with this approach, showing that this effort is a viable and practical way of teaching modelling tools in Chemical Engineering programmes.