Siemens is helping Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore on its journey to being a smart campus with upgrades to improve infrastructure, support operational excellence and enhance the student living-learning experience.

As part of its ten-year Transformation Morgan 2030 plan, the university has partnered with Siemens on its journey to becoming a smart and connected campus. Improvements underway include implementing a series of modernisation upgrades to the university’s HVAC, security, and fire and life safety systems with a focus on energy efficiency, resiliency and sustainability.

All work is umbrellaed under a master service agreement between Maryland Clean Energy Center, Siemens and MSU to support the university’s campus transformation.

Like many other higher education institutions, MSU must contend with significant deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs. Covid-19 helped accelerate the need for repairs and upgrades as facilities and equipment remained dormant or underused due to a campus closure.

With the aid of Federal Covid Relief funding, the university has been able to address some areas of concern, such as improving indoor air quality; however, there is more work to be done.

By way of its partnership with Siemens, MSU is taking proactive steps towards becoming a smart campus focused on energy efficiency and production through systems integration and digitalisation with investments in clean and renewable energy.

“In our strategic plan we set a deliberate goal of improving campus-wide infrastructure to support operational excellence and increase overall institutional capacity,” said David Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “One of the ways in which this can be accomplished is through strategic investment in our campus facilities. In order to grow into the leaders that they are destined to be, our students require a healthy, safe, secure and resilient campus setting. Working in partnership with Siemens in developing a more sustainable learning and instructional environment for our community moves us in a positive direction.”

Paul Hayes from Siemens Smart Infrastructure in the USA added: “The vision of this partnership in the areas of energy conservation, decarbonisation and STEM education will serve as a model for a smart campus by underlining our common commitment to sustainability and society. We are proud to have a contributing role in MSU’s long-term strategic plan for institutional success.”

As Wilson noted, sustainability is important not just for the campus and buildings but also for the students and faculty. With a focus on helping institutions achieve their sustainability targets, Siemens Financial Services (SFS) – the financing arm of Siemens – is providing capital for this project.

“Sustainability and decarbonisation have been core initiatives for Siemens for many years,” said Markus Edstrom, head of SFS commercial finance in the Americas. “We are happy to see institutions such as MSU taking the initiative to reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on their energy efficiency, which falls directly in line with SFS’s vision to help even more small and medium-sized enterprises transition to net-zero in the future.”