Siemens and IFS have announced a strategic partnership aimed at helping manufacturers connect engineering, production and asset management data through industrial artificial intelligence (AI), with the companies saying the collaboration is intended to improve productivity and optimise production assets across the product lifecycle.
According to Siemens and IFS, the partnership combines Siemens’ capabilities in industrial AI, engineering, automation and manufacturing execution with IFS’s expertise in industrial AI, enterprise asset management and field service.
The companies said the collaboration is designed to address gaps between product design and factory operations, where issues such as unplanned downtime, disconnected maintenance schedules, siloed production data and supply chain disruptions can affect operational performance.
The companies said manufacturers are facing increasing pressure to improve output from existing assets, protect margins, extend equipment life and respond more quickly to changing operating conditions.Â
They said many organisations continue to rely on production, maintenance planning and supply chain management systems that operate independently, limiting the flow of information between engineering, operations and service functions.
Siemens and IFS said industrial AI will be central to the partnership, with the companies seeking to connect engineering design, manufacturing execution and operational performance in a continuous feedback loop.Â
They said Siemens’ Digital Twin technology will provide engineering, simulation and manufacturing context, while IFS will contribute asset performance, service history and operational lifecycle data to support what they describe as a closed-loop Digital Twin.
The companies said the approach is intended to provide manufacturers with a secure, governed and auditable digital environment that integrates design, simulation, factory execution and service records. They added that industrial AI applications require high levels of accuracy, reliability and regulatory compliance because errors can have implications for safety, compliance and physical assets.
“Industrial AI only delivers value when it is grounded in both engineering intent and real-world performance,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, president and chief executive officer of Siemens Digital Industries Software.
“Together with IFS, we are bringing these domains together by connecting design, manufacturing and asset lifecycle data in a secure, contextualised data fabric. By converging our combined strengths in industrial AI, together we will empower our customers with our vision of an executable Digital Twin that will enable them to accelerate innovation with confidence.”
Mark Moffat, chief executive officer of IFS, said manufacturers require factory operations to align more closely with original engineering intent.
“This partnership with Siemens brings together two companies that each own a critical piece of the puzzle,” Moffat said.
“Agentic AI is the critical frontier, and industrial leaders need solutions with closed-loop models and data, and a rich set of context that will not hallucinate in active operations. By combining our collective strengths in industrial AI, we can help manufacturers close the loop between design and reality, and unlock real, measurable performance gains.”
