Skip to main content

Connected Curriculum

As we move into the fourth Industrial Revolution, we see are seeing a new era of complex technologies. Connected Curriculum aims to bring academia and industry together by integrating Siemens' and Festo's Industry 4.0 technology into university curriculum.

Student Competition - Find out more

Bringing academia and industry together

The UK is home to world-class universities and many leading innovators. Since its launch in 2019 Connected Curriculum has partnered with 19 UK universities, supporting academic staff to tailor industrial hardware, software and learning materials to meet the needs of their students.

Transforming education for Industry 4.0

An icon representing training with a stylized image of a person's head and a light bulb.

A new paradigm for teaching

Educators must be prepared to meet new challenges. Siemens' Connected Curriculum  initiative leads the way with a new paradigm of teaching that incorporates real-world  scenarios, project-based learning and innovative pedagogies.

def14ad0-014b-4c4f-9c2b-dd002b98c948-Icon-Competence-640x360

Future-ready skills

The Siemens approach imparts skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation and collaboration. These experiences translate into learners who are both knowledgeable and will be successful in a rapidly evolving workplace.

Icon Partnership

Impactful partnerships

Connected Curriculum is a dynamic, collaborative  partnership between educators, thought leaders and diverse learners. Academics, industry partners customers experience this revolution in education at our Industrial Skills Summit. 

Connected Curriculum Student Competition

Our student competition for students at our participating Connected Curriculum universities and institutes of technology is now open.

Learn more
Two students in blue Siemens shirts type on a computer and point at it.

What is Connected Curriculum?

Connected Curriculum brings industrial hardware and software together in an off-the-shelf bundle that includes Siemens software, curriculum examples, case studies and real-life problem-solving tutorials. It aims to provide students industrial experience through Siemens and Festo automation technologies during their degree — knowledge that would not typically be gained until a STEM graduate enters the working world.

Connected Curriculum offers students access to Siemens simulation software including NX Mechatronics Concept Design, Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, PLCSIM Advanced, Mendix and TIA Portal. Students will also gain insight into how these are applied in a digital world, getting to grips with Industrial IoT and Digital Twins.

What does Connected Curriculum offer?

University academics and the Connected Curriculum team at Siemens work together to provide a well-rounded education. Siemens has developed lecture content and practical projects around the subject of digitalisation to fit seamlessly into your existing university syllabus. These are delivered to the students by the academics with Siemens involved throughout to assist with technical help and engage with the students in project meetings.

A presentation being made to a group of people in chairs at a Connected Curriculum Symposium.

Connected Curriculum Partner: Festo

Siemens and Festo Didactic Services Limited are working together to integrate their cutting edge industry 4.0 technology into university curriculum. Festo is a worldwide leader in automation and a world market leader in technical training and development. Festo offer training hardware integrated with Siemens technology to create off the shelf bundles for Industrial applications.

Find out more
A blue logo for Festo Didactic Services.

Join the Connected Curriculum community

Our latest Industrial Skills Summit took place in July 2025 at our Manchester office. Our vibrant community explored impactful work and celebrated the amazing students in the Student Competition.  

 If you’re an academic or leader at one of our existing partner institutions, or if you’re looking to partner with industry to develop your curriculum, join our Connected Curriculum community to stay informed. 

The exterior of the Siemens headquarters in Manchester, UK.

Participating universities and institutes of technology

  • AMRC Training Centre
  • Aston University
  • Birmingham City University
  • Birmingham Metropolitan College
  • City St Georges University of London
  • Coventry University
  • Greater Birmingham & Solihull Institute of Technology
  • Greater Manchester Institute of Technology
  • Liverpool John Moores University
  • Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Middlesex University
  • Salford University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • Solihull College and University Centre
  • South and City College Birmingham
  • Teesside University
  • University College Birmingham
  • University of Birmingham
  • University of Exeter
  • University of Sheffield
  • University of the West of England
  • West London Institute of Technology
  • Wigan & Leigh College

Connected Curriculum Symposium

We had the honour of hosting an Industrial Skills Summit at our Siemens office in Manchester in July this year, bringing together our industrial partners, academic staff and Siemens experts for a day of collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

The event began with thought-provoking discussions led by industry leaders, exploring how Industry 4.0 is shaping the future of education and workforce development. Our partners and Siemens experts shared insights on curriculum co-development and highlighted emerging opportunities for collaboration.

A key highlight of the symposium was the announcement of the winners of the Siemens Connected Curriculum Student Competition. The winning students proudly presented their projects, demonstrating the practical application of Siemens technology in their real-world solutions.

Throughout the day, we hosted engaging panel discussions on the transformative role of AI, sustainability and Industry 4.0 in shaping essential skills. The symposium also offered attendees opportunities to engage in themed discussions on topics such as digital twin technology, automation and cybersecurity.

The Industrial Skills Summit showcased our continued commitment to fostering collaboration between academia and industry, driving forward the vision of a connected and future-ready workforce.

Really enjoyed hearing the student presentations and seeing the great work that they are doing because of connected curriculum and the access to software and hardware that comes with it.
Dr. Carl Diver, Director of Print City and Industry 4.0 Lead, Manchester Metropolitan University
The student feedback on group working use of the software and hardware was useful. Opportunities to speak with the students were valuable for all parties.
Dr. Tim Jones, Head of Education, School of Engineering at University of Manchester
The collaboration with Siemens enables case studies, real-life problem solving and hands-on learning with the ultimate goal to minimise the knowledge gap between leaving university and embarking on a career in industry.
Dr Payam Soulatiantork , The University of Sheffield
Connected Curriculum has enabled us to develop critical competencies in learners whilst engaging with external partners to tackle complex problems. This effort is not only impacting our learners, but also carries a significant impact beyond the walls of our institution.
Dr Aris Christos Alexoulis Chrysovergis, Manchester Metropolitan University