Siemens CEO says Germany should utilize industrial data for AI improvements

Siemens AG Chief Executive Officer Roland Busch wants Germany to make better use of its industrial data to drive AI advancements. 

Speaking on Bloomberg Television on Monday, he said, “We are sitting on a massive amount of data,” highlighting that both small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as larger companies, are generating valuable data from their operations and buildings.

Siemens acquired Dotmatics and Altair Engineering

The German multinational technology company Siemens is focused on automation and is applying AI technology to improve the efficiency of industrial manufacturing systems. It is working with Nvidia Corp. for AI integration and recently expanded its software portfolio by acquiring Altair Engineering Inc. and Dotmatics.

In April, Siemens announced a $5.1 billion agreement to acquire Dotmatics to expand its AI software offerings for life sciences companies, with the deal formally expected to close in early fiscal 2026. Regarding the deal, Dotmatics CEO Thomas Swalla commented that they would “drive a new wave of innovation in life sciences R&D.” 

Jared Rosen, managing director at Insight, claimed the partnership would help Dotmatics in its goal to boost innovation within life sciences. Before Siemens agreed to purchase Dotmatics, Insight, a New York-based venture capital and private equity firm, had acquired the firm for as much as £500 million, roughly $648 million.

In March, Siemens also wrapped up the $10 billion purchase of Altair Engineering Inc. in its strategy to grow its digital revenue stream.

Busch and Sewing announced a new investment initiative for Germany and Europe

Busch believes European countries need to step up and alter their laws if they want to compete with US software companies. On Monday, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing and Busch unveiled a joint investment initiative called “Made for Germany,” valued at €631 billion, worth $715 billion.

According to Sewing, the initiative brings together numerous leading companies that want to collaborate closely with policymakers to steer Germany—and by extension, Europe—toward success. He argued that they share the same vision: to see growth and competitiveness in their country. 

He also suggested increased investment could help Germany recover, emphasising that key sectors such as automotive, chemicals, and machinery had long suffered from high energy prices.

Busch also said companies are looking to the government for action and emphasized the importance of coming together to incite change. He said he believes the initiative consists of big corporations and small and mid-sized companies and that together they can help advance their mission.

Currently, 61 firms have vowed to invest in Germany, most of which have pledged to funnel a three-digit billion amount of new investment by 2028. The investments are designed to counteract the recent capital flight, amounting to hundreds of billions of euros.

The German government vowed to enact significant reforms and reduce bureaucratic hurdles to make Germany more appealing to investors and stimulate innovation. Nevertheless, as seen in the most recent polls, Friedrich Merz, Germany’s Chancellor, is still dealing with waning public trust. US President Donald Trump also threatened to slap a 30% levy on the EU, set to take effect on August 1, unless a deal is reached.

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