Gannon University has received an in-kind grant of $373 million from Siemens, a global technology company. With this grant, engineering students will have the opportunity to use the same software that companies from around the world use to create products all within Gannon classrooms.
This is the largest in-kind software grant in Gannon’s history.
Ikechukwu Ohu, Ph.D., an assistant professor of industrial engineering, said that this new PLM software will open many doors for current engineering students.
“This is a great win for the industrial engineering and other engineering students at Gannon University,” he said. “The software applications are at the cutting edge of digital manufacturing and manufacturing 4.0.”
According to Ohu, this new software will allow students to engage in the management of new products. This includes ideation, design and manufacturing, as well as actual application and final disposal.
Ohu also said that this software will result in cost-saving potential when it comes to product design.
The software will be used in most industrial engineering courses, along with being taught by multiple other biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering faculty, according to Ohu. As the implementation of the software increases in classrooms by faculty, more students are expected to get the opportunity to experience the new software.
According to Ohu, students will be using the PLM software in computer-integrated manufacturing, robotics, industrial design, work design, ergonomics, material science and materials processing courses and projects. Students will also be completing capstone projects using the software suite.
A few of the software applications that Gannon will receive include the NX Academic Bundle Core, the Learning Advantage Academic Membership and the Kineo Kite Academic Bundle.
With these applications, students can gain experience with computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering, complex interactions between mechanical and electronic computer aided designs and software development and robot simulations, path planning and assembly validations.

Ohu said he thinks this new software will have a big impact on current and future engineering students in their careers.
“Manufacturing 4.0 involves the cost-effective interconnection and intelligent communication between machines, humans and products in intelligent factories and cyber physical systems,” he said. “Gannon University’s industrial engineering program is very well-poised to prepare engineers for this forthcoming industrial revolution using the state-of-the-art software from Siemens and technologies our labs are enriched with.”
Siemens’ software is currently used by many companies across Pennsylvania and more than 140,000 globally. It helps engineers turn ideas into real products that can make a difference in the world.
The PLM software is expected to enhance the experience and learning of current engineering students as well as future students who choose Gannon to further their education in engineering fields.
HARLEE BOEHM
[email protected]