Annual Report 2003 2004

Networking and knowledge sharing
In an increasingly networked world it is increasingly important to support projects that act as catalysts
in the dialogue between government, business and science. The Group supports opinion forums,
conferences and other discussion platforms which promote the exchange of views on business and
technical issues and contribute to intercultural understanding.
In addition we provide strong support for Acatech, the council for engineering sciences run by the
Union of German Academies of Science and Humanities. Acatech aims to promote dialogue on forwardlooking
technologies and their significance for sustainable growth and intensify exchanges between
science, business, government and society.
Initiative of the year: Discovering Future Technology
Germany’s competitiveness depends to a crucial degree on its ability to innovate. This has not always
been adequately recognized in recent times. Instead there has been increasing skepticism towards new
technologies. The consequences are profound: the loss of important technological leadership positions
in the global market and a dramatic shortage of young scientists/engineers are threatening Germany’s
future as a center of technology. To counter this trend, government, science and business launched
a number of activities in 2004, such as the “innovation offensive” and the “year of technology”.
ThyssenKrupp also decided to expand its commitment to education, networking and knowledge sharing.
In May 2004 we created an initiative of our own called “Discovering Future Technology”. Our aim is to
contribute to a fundamental change of attitude in our society and promote a technology-friendly climate
that sees innovations as an opportunity and not as a threat. We also want to encourage young people to
take up technical training or studies. Finally, the goal of the initiative is to bring together the major forces
in business, science, government and the media to provide impetus for wider activities.
The initiative was launched in mid-May with a new phase of our image campaign. In tv commercials
and print ads, complex technical themes were communicated to a broad public in an imaginative and
appealing way. The new motifs again feature children of ThyssenKrupp employees explaining the
benefits of high technology in their own way. In addition, more than 30 advertorial supplements were
placed in the main German dailies and weeklies highlighting the importance of innovation for our country.
Produced in association with editorial staff, the supplements focused on various aspects such as economics,
education, the capital market, innovations, individual sectors and the global economy. Many
renowned partners of ThyssenKrupp from the technical/scientific field contributed guest articles. This
joint action was unprecedented in the German media landscape and met with a tremendous response.
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Our future potential
Commitment
Technology capabilities
will decide Germany’s
future.