Earlier this year, Siemens surpassed $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing investments over five years—and announced there was more to come.

Show notes:

Siemens invests $200M in U.S. electrical manufacturing

America's manufacturing future depends on more than advanced technology—it depends on a skilled workforce prepared to build, program, and operate it.

In this episode of the Optimistic Outlook, Amanda Beaton, who leads Siemens Cooperates with Education, sits down with Jim Devaprasad, robotics professor at Lake Superior State University and recipient of the 2026 A3 Educator of the Year Award, to discuss how educators are helping solve America's manufacturing skilled labor shortage by preparing the next generation of engineers, technicians, robotics specialists, and automation professionals.

After more than 40 years in the classroom, Jim has witnessed the evolution of manufacturing technology firsthand—from hand-drawn robotics diagrams to today's highly automated, AI-enabled industrial environments. Along the way, he has inspired generations of students and launched countless careers, including former students who now lead automation companies of their own.

Amanda and Jim explore why hands-on STEM education, career and technical education (CTE), and strong partnerships between industry and education are essential to closing workforce gaps and strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. They also discuss how robotics, automation, and experiential learning are preparing students for high-demand careers and why investing in educators is one of the smartest investments America can make for its industrial future.

Topics covered:

Listen to hear why the future of American manufacturing starts in today's classrooms, and how educators like Jim Devaprasad are inspiring the next generation of innovators, engineers, and manufacturing leaders.

Show notes

Lake Superior State University (LSSU) School of Engineering and Technology: LSSU in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan is one of only 10 nationally accredited robotics engineering programs in the nation.

America is investing in the future of shipbuilding — but modern shipyards require more than docks and cranes. They require digital technologies that help engineers, planners and production teams build smarter, faster and more efficiently. This episode of In 5 explores Siemens' new partnership with HD Hyundai and how AI-powered digital shipyards could help strengthen U.S. maritime competitiveness, improve productivity and create a blueprint for the next generation of American shipbuilding.

Show notes

Press Release: Siemens, HD Hyundai Modernize U.S. Shipbuilding

Blog post:

How will artificial intelligence impact jobs, workforce development, and the future of American manufacturing?

In this episode of the Optimistic Outlook, Siemens USA CEO Ann Fairchild sits down with U.S. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina to discuss the future of work in the age of AI. Building on insights from a recent U.S. Senate hearing focused on artificial intelligence and workforce transformation, they explore how AI is reshaping industries, creating new opportunities for workers, and driving innovation across the U.S. economy.

Senator Budd shares why concerns about widespread job displacement are increasingly being replaced by conversations about productivity, workforce augmentation, and the growing demand for AI skills. Together, he and Ann examine the role of industrial AI, workforce training, public-private partnerships, and education in preparing Americans for the jobs of the future.

The conversation also explores how AI can help strengthen U.S. manufacturing, accelerate reshoring efforts, improve competitiveness, and support responsible innovation. Rather than replacing people, they argue that AI has the potential to empower workers, enhance human capabilities, and unlock new economic opportunities.

Whether you're interested in artificial intelligence, workforce development, manufacturing, economic policy, or the future of jobs, this episode offers an optimistic perspective on how technology can help build a stronger future for American industry and the people who power it.

Topics discussed:

Show Notes:

Siemens VP Addresses Congress on Industrial AI: https://www.siemens.com/en-us/company/insights/us-stories/siemens-vp-addresses-congress-on-industrial-ai/

Before the internet, there was the transatlantic cable. It transformed global communication, shrinking the distance between continents from weeks to minutes. But in its earliest days, that connection came at a steep price: one company controlled the only reliable cable across the Atlantic, and sending a twenty-word telegram could cost more than $100.

In this special America 250 episode of The Optimistic Outlook, guest host Lauren Espin tells the remarkable true story of the engineers and entrepreneurs who challenged that monopoly and helped usher in a new era of global communications. Drawing on original letters and archival research from the Siemens Historical Institute, the episode follows Werner, William, and Carl von Siemens as they designed and built the Faraday—the world's first purpose-built cable-laying ship—and embarked on a mission that nearly failed in the middle of the Atlantic.

Through firsthand correspondence between the brothers, you'll experience the technical setbacks, fierce competition, and determination that ultimately led to one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 19th century—and helped expand access to international communication at a pivotal moment in history.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How the first transatlantic telegraph cables changed communication, and why access remained limited

Why the Siemens brothers built the Faraday, the world's first purpose-built cable-laying ship

What happened when the cable snapped twice in the middle of the Atlantic

How rivals attempted to derail the project with false reports that the Faraday had sunk

Why September 15, 1875, marked a turning point in transatlantic communications when the Siemens cable opened for traffic and outperformed the existing route on its very first day

Whether you're interested in the history of technology, engineering, telecommunications, global infrastructure, entrepreneurship, or the stories behind the innovations that shaped modern life, this episode offers a fascinating look at one of the most consequential—and least-known—chapters in communications history.

Show notes:

Siemens in the United States - https://www.siemens.com/en-us/company/about/siemens-usa/

Siemens' History and Heritage - https://www.siemens.com/en-us/company/history-heritage/

Corporate sustainability strategy is becoming a profit driver as AI, decarbonization, and resilience converge.

Drawing on examples from industry, infrastructure, and mobility, Eva and Ann discuss why the cost of inaction is no longer theoretical. They explore how a modern corporate sustainability strategy can cut emissions, support circular operations, and strengthen systems, while still delivering measurable business value.

Key takeaways:

For CEOs, operators, and sustainability leaders, this episode offers a clear

Show notes

Sustainability at Siemens

Fleet electrification is scaling right now. Here is what fleet leaders and

Key takeaways:

If you want a grounded view of fleet electrification beyond the headlines, this episode shows what scaling looks like when real fleets make the shift.

Picture this: a factory that makes its own power, stores it, and has enough left over to sell back to the grid. It may sound like a thought experiment, but Siemens is running one right now in Wendell, North Carolina, at one of its industrial factories.

Here's the gist. Solar panels on top of a carport feed a battery roughly the size of a small building, which lets the whole facility run on renewables, keep operations carbon-neutral, and yes, push excess power back into the grid for other people to use. The setup is a 1.25-megawatt microgrid paired with 3.9 megawatt-hours of battery storage, and it's one of the largest industrial solar plus storage systems on Duke Energy's distribution network in the Carolinas. When the grid goes down, the factory keeps humming. When the sun is shining and production is light, the surplus goes out the door and into the neighborhood. The carport doubles as covered parking with EV chargers tied into the same system, so EVs get charged on the factory's own solar.

This is what an industrial microgrid actually looks like in practice, a real working example of solar plus storage, distributed energy resources, and smart building controls coming together to make a single site genuinely energy independent. It's also a preview of where a lot of manufacturing is heading as companies start seizing energy resilience as a competitive advantage.

If you run a facility, work in energy, or you're just curious how the grid is quietly getting rebuilt from the edges in, give this one a listen.

Show notes

Press Release: Siemens Unveils State-of-the-Art Microgrid at Wendell Headquarters, Commemorates with Electrification Celebration: https://news.siemens.com/en-us/wendell-state-of-the-art-microgrid/

AI adoption, not innovation, is the real barrier to progress in healthcare and manufacturing. Siemens' Brittany Ng and Rad AI's Demetri Giannikopoulos share what they told the U.S. Senate about deploying AI where it matters most.

In radiology, AI is reducing missed diagnoses, extending specialist expertise to underserved hospitals, and giving physicians more time with patients. In shipyards and factories, industrial AI is automating complex processes, cutting downtime, improving quality, and strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity.

But the real AI adoption challenges aren't technical. They're about data access, governance, workforce readiness, trust, and making sure smaller hospitals and manufacturers aren't left behind.

What you'll learn:

Show notes:

Siemens VP Addresses Congress on Industrial AI: https://www.siemens.com/en-us/company/insights/us-stories/siemens-vp-addresses-congress-on-industrial-ai/

What does a $1 billion investment in American manufacturing actually look like?

In this episode of Optimistic Outlook in Five, guest host Lauren Espin explores how Siemens USA invested more than $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing between 2021 and 2026, and how those investments are reshaping industries, creating jobs, and strengthening America’s industrial future.

From new electrical infrastructure facilities in Texas, California, and the Carolinas to advanced passenger rail manufacturing in North Carolina, Siemens is expanding domestic manufacturing capacity to support critical sectors including AI, data centers, semiconductors, utilities, automotive, healthcare, and transportation.

This episode highlights the real-world impact of industrial investment — from workforce development and job creation to energy infrastructure, rail manufacturing, and the future of U.S. competitiveness.

In this episode:

If you’re interested in manufacturing, industrial technology, infrastructure, workforce development, AI, energy, or the future of American industry, this episode offers a closer look at how long-term investment can create lasting impact across communities nationwide.

Show notes:

Press release - Siemens Achieves $1 billion in U.S. Manufacturing Investments, Strengthening American Reindustrialization, Supply Chains and Workforce: https://news.siemens.com/en-us/siemens-achieves-1-billion-us-manufacturing-investments/

Episode transcript