Rolls-Royce Power Systems sponsors Friedrichshafen Knowledge Workshop

• 50,000 euros per year for five years
• Joint aim to awaken young people's enthusiasm for technology
• Rolls-Royce Power Systems granted seat on the workshop's Association Board   

Friedrichshafen – Rolls-Royce Power Systems is to support the Friedrichshafen Knowledge Workshop with sponsorship payments of 250,000 euros. The workshop offers technology courses for children and youngsters aged between five and eighteen. “The city of Friedrichshafen   owes its renown in large part to a number of outstanding technological advances that were made here,” pointed out Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.   “ We want to awaken young people's interest in technology and their spirit of innovation at an early stage.”

Marcus A. Wassenberg, Member of the Board of Rolls-Royce Power Systems and Labor Director, added, “Friedrichshafen is our most important site for research and production and the reason why we want to get young people curious about technology at an early age. We want to show them that it's actually fun. In doing so, we also do justice to our standing as one of the biggest employers in the region.”   

The courses given in the Knowledge Workshop are not just designed to impart knowledge, but to highlight the enjoyable side of technology.   The atmosphere is relaxed and tuition is individual or given in groups of up to fourteen participants. It is built around practical enterprises, involving for example, vehicle robots or challenges like 'How does electricity come out of a plug socket? Build your own power station!'.
“We're delighted to have Rolls-Royce Power Systems on board,” said Robert Vöhringer, Head of the Knowledge Workshop, “because we both share the same objectives. Long before they start writing job applications, we want to get young people engaged with the big challenges of the future such as efficient energy management.   Rolls-Royce Power Systems' product portfolio reflects that challenge.”

In support of the workshop's efforts, Rolls-Royce Power Systems has already donated a Series 1600 engine from mtu which is used for hands-on learning about the structure and function of internal combustion engines.

As part of the sponsorship, the company was granted a seat on the workshop Association Board. The board selected Martin Stocker, mtu head of training, to take up the appointment.