networking event for tech talents
expand perspectives
For the second year in succession, 30 selected young tech talents from all over Germany were invited to attend the 14th German Engineering Summit on November 7 and 8 in Berlin, which drew a record number of visitors. They had a chance there to discuss current issues at eye level with top decision-makers from the engineering industry as well as from science and politics. Their tickets and their stay in Berlin were once again sponsored by the Wittenstein Foundation.
Restrospective 2023
Over 1400 applications from students of mechanical and electrical engineering and computer science were received by the organizer, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), for this networking event at what is German industry’s leading congress. 30 of these applicants were given the opportunity to discuss and network with high-profile executives and CEOs as well as representatives of the VDMA Young Entrepreneurs Circle in the framework of a BarCamp. The students were also able to listen live to speeches by Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Dr Robert Habeck as well as Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner.
Restrospective 2022
Over 1000 applications from students of mechanical and electrical engineering and computer science were received by the organizer, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), for this networking event at what is German industry’s leading congress. In the end, 30 of them were given the opportunity to meet, discuss and network with political figures such as Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Federal Minister for Economics and Climate Action Robert Habeck, Member of the Bundestag Anton Hofreiter and US Ambassador Amy Gutmann as well as high-profile executives and CEOs of major industrial companies at the German Engineering Summit.
Along with highly informative lectures, panel discussions and a trade exhibition, the round table with outstanding business personalities was the highlight for the technology students. Questions such as “Does smart production with AI and robots inevitably lead to job losses?” or “What impact do digitalization, AI, blockchains and the like have on climate?” as well as meaningful measures for attracting young specialists to rural SMEs were discussed in small groups and the results presented in plenary. The students also took part in the exclusive VDMA evening event, where they were able to further intensify the contacts they had made previously – both with entrepreneurs and with each other.
Promoting a culture of dialog
For Dr Anna-Katharina Wittenstein, a member of the Board of Trustees and representative of the Wittenstein Foundation at the student event, it was an easy decision to sponsor the 30 two-day tickets for the second time: “The VDMA and the Wittenstein Foundation are united by a common goal: to make it immediately clear to young people at the threshold of professional life that the great challenges of our time – for example, questions such as energy efficiency, environmental protection, sustainable management and the shortage of skilled workers – cannot be overcome in the ivory towers of individual scientific disciplines or social groups. On the contrary, what is needed here is a debate transcending national borders as well as constructive arguing and wrestling in the search for the most promising approaches for shaping our shared future.” Above all, the aim is that experiencing how business and politics use the Engineering Summit as an exchange platform will show the next generation of engineers the importance of changes of perspective, networking and a culture of dialog in today’s transformation society.