ThyssenKrupp Magazin

homogeneously, with a focus on clearly defined economic and technical
goals.
You are the patron of a material innovation prize, which is awarded by
ThyssenKrupp and the Ruhr University in Bochum. Is this an example
of how you want to move material research from the company to the research
departments of universities?
The answer to this question has several aspects. For one, we cooperate
with a series of national and international universities to recruit potential
managers. ThyssenKrupp Germany alone employs 8,837 university
graduates, including 6,430 engineers. Since the inclination to
take a technical degree is declining fast among younger generations,
we are working on joint programs with the Ruhr University in Bochum to
convince young people of the attractiveness of the engineering profession.
In addition, we want to identify the most promising students in
these subjects. The material innovation prize is an excellent instrument
to do this. I have been in contact with the relevant staff at the Ruhr University
for years to push ahead with a reform of engineering training.
Aspiring engineers urgently need business skills. As a trained mechanical
engineer who also studied economics, I know what I am talking
about. An additional 20 percent of a degree should be dedicated to
business issues in the future. Graduates should know how a company
works, as well as the meaning of sales, production, procurement of
charges, accounting and much more. They should be able to calculate
and know what project and value management mean. In this way, they
will internalize that their work serves to safeguard and increase the
company’s value in the end.
So the innovation prize helps you find the sought-after engineering recruits
who are so scarce in Germany?
The materials prize is indeed a suitable means of contacting young people
who are of interest to our company. In any case, we don’t primarily
look for these people among trained engineers. We need creative employees,
with a feel for technology and business thinking. This prize allows
us to enter into an interactive dialogue with the university at an
early stage.
What happens to the freedom of university research and teaching if you
cooperate with a university?
The freedom of research and teaching is an important function of uni-
TK Magazine | 1 | 2004 |
INTERVIEW 61
versities, which we respect. But empty federal and state coffers mean
that universities can no longer undertake just any research, without a
goal. Public-sector budgets are being cut back, which means that competition
among universities is getting tougher. The universities increasingly
have to subject themselves to a ranking and become as attractive
as possible in order to obtain third-party funds. In short, university staff
have to seek contact with those who can honor their achievements financially.
In this way, research and teaching are being co-financed.
ThyssenKrupp AG maintains a lot of cooperation programs with other
universities and schools, and the board members seek direct contact
with these institutions. But aren’t these rather insufficient attempts for a
high-technology company to find suitable employees, who – starting in
the schools – are increasingly hard to find?
I agree that the entire climate has to change. The environment looks very
bleak. Students are less and less fascinated by technology. Young people
rarely learn mathematics because they claim not to understand it.
Even greater is the fear of getting an engineering degree, which means
dealing in depth with mathematics, physics, mechanics, thermodynamics
and chemistry. This skeptical attitude toward technology is reinforced
by deteriorating political parameters. Various planned laws thus limit the
scope or even threaten energy-intensive businesses in Germany. Meanwhile,
politicians are concealing the fact that the processing industry will
logically follow this departure in a cycle of seven to 10 years. I have the
impression that the debate is being dominated by lawyers and sociologists.
But no economy can stay above water with them and their concepts.
How about a bit of optimism?
As a realist, I analyze the facts first of all, and they don’t bode well for
Germany’s technological development. But an entrepreneur also has to
be optimistic. It is a hopeful sign that the federal government has declared
2004 to be the Year of Technology. ThyssenKrupp is contributing
particularly actively to the various activities initiated by Federal Research
and Education Minister Edelgard Bulmahn. We have to keep lobbying
on behalf of technology and innovation. We have to show young
people that dealing with basic materials demands creativity, manual
skills and in-depth technological know-how, and that working on solutions
for technical problems yields a high level of personal and professional
satisfaction.
The interview was conducted by Heribert Klein
Researchers are the drivers of innovation