Baden-Württemberg A

NOVEMBER 2018

NEW IN

local global publication local Baden-Württemberg a

A GUIDE FOR TALENTS AND CORPORATES

Exploring the DNA of Innovation How start-ups are reinventing the region

Working in BW: Welcome to the most attractive destination for "the new"

Communities: Who they are, how they came

CONNECTING GLOBAL MINDS

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Where the new is at home

Brand-new, contemporary, and original - welcome to the most attractive destination for innovation

Baden-Württemberg wasn’t always the wealthy region it is today. Only time and effort made it the successful federal state in the south of Germany that it has become. There are not just a few ways to describe the region, but thousands and every day, impulses and experiences shape the people and area. Baden- Württemberg is always hungry for the “new” - new ideas, new workforce, new experiences.

Through the introduction of unique innovations brought especially by the startup movement and the diversity of the workforce, Baden-Württemberg is ever changing. With platforms such as Startup BW, CODE_n, Startup Autobahn, Social Impact Lab, and events like the CODE_n new.New Festival, ideas are heard and supported. Students, young professionals, and foreign specialists will find their place here - in start-ups, as well as the so-called “Mittelstand”, or the region’s big industrial brands.

Backed by the support of politicians such as the Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and the State Minister of Economy, Labour and Housing Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, the start-up culture is catching up with other locations. And that's because of industrial companies that have realized that being local and global is key to success. Everyone can learn from each other, no matter the position on the market. In Baden-Württemberg, a business can even learn from football…

“New in Baden-Württemberg” is, as the name suggests, for everyone new to Baden-Württemberg. But in the booming economy of the region, we ourselves, even after having lived here for years, have to face innovation, also known as “the new”, every day. Everything new should be discovered and shared - and that’s what we’ll be doing with this magazine.

Luca Wodtke New in Baden-Württemberg Editor

IMPRINT TEAM

Publisher Editors Cover Image by local global GmbH Luca Wodtke Peoplecreations / Freepik Marienstr. 5 Ariadne Dimakou 70178 Stuttgart Layout www.localglobal.com Authors Julia Steiner Luca Wodtke (LW) Print Ariadne Dimakou (AD) WirMachenDruck, Hans Gäng (HG) Backnang Valeria T. (VT) Ariadne Dimakou Luca Wodtke Julia Steiner3 CONTENTS

In Baden-Württemberg

12 Baden-Württemberg: Facts & figures

14 “A fertile ground for innovation” Interview with Prime Minister of Baden- Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann

16 Winds of change “Create a positive start-up climate”: Challenges for Germany - opportunities Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg for international talents Winfried Kretschmann shares why start-ups are so important for Baden-Württemberg. 18 Founders fun in Europe Read the interview on page 14. ERASMUS for young entrepreneurs

Corporates & Start-Ups

20 "Innovation is lived internationally" Moritz Gräter of CODE_n on the importance of international start-ups for BW

22 Green, greener, greenest: review of new.New Festival 2018

24 The best of both worlds Susanne Hahn, Head of Lab1866, shares how Daimler aids small start-ups

26 On the autobahn to success Startup Autobahn put its foot on the gas pedal and reached Programme 5

27 Connecting large and small across the world Plug & Play Germany GmbH to link start-ups to corporates

28 Accelerating the development of smart device applications Matthias Mögerle of ThingOS on how home & industry will be connected 30 Three magic words becoming a global standard what3words navigating to the core of the automotive industry

The new.New Festival hosted by CODE_n 30 Virginia, Böblingen, Innovation With over 300 international and national start-ups, Manuel Meyer, DXC Innovation Program Manager, on Industry 4.0 the 2018 festival was bigger than ever before. Read the review on page 22. 32 “It’s important to support your talents everywhere” Andreas Streit of mm-Lab on assisting international employees as a corporate

33 Social Impact Lab: a lab is changing minds

34 Factory of learning Global Player Festo AG is changing the way to adopt new tech in production

4 Education

38 Learning on the job Dual education in Germany

41 “Education and employability” Arnold van Zyl explains why "Duale Hochschule BW" is unique and admired

44 Small, but a lot to offer University of Furtwangen may be in the woods, but its equipment is out of this world

46 Studying between continents Angelika Weber introduces study supporting “Our educational model combines programme at STUBE BW education and employability” Dual education in Germany is becoming 48 Hello Freshmen! more and more popular. Knowledge and Baden-Württemberg universities welcome work experience are essential for many international students positions. Read more on page 38.

50 Calendar: Business & Recruiting Events 2018/2019

Community

52 Greece: The exodus How to win back the young talents

55 ¿Por qué te vas? Review of Spain event at the Global Connect

56 "You don't really look like a Kazhak" Experiences of a “Russian German”

58 The point of no return? How to win back the young talents Leaving Romania to find better chances Greece has been struggling economically for several years which results in a large wave of 60 AfricaWorks talents leaving the country. Read more on page 52. Bringing Africa to Europe

After Work

62 Football minds map Where coaching legends come from

63 Football engineering Expertise made in Baden-Württemberg

66 SC Freiburg: the connecting culture of football Interview with educational director Stefanie Nerling “Connecting football talents to society” 68 The most wonderful time of the year SC Freiburg has been an excellent example for Christmas Markets in Baden-Württemberg successful integration of young talents from abroad for years. Read more on page 66. 72 Spätzle and more: our top six Swabian dishes

74 FOLLOW US

Connections "OUR VISION IS TO BECOME THE MOST ATTRACTIVE EDGE CONNECTING PLATFORM IN THE TECHNOLOGY SPACE."

"OUR VISION IS TO BECOME THE MOST ATTRACTIVE EDGE CONNECTING PLATFORM IN THE TECHNOLOGY

ThingOS SPACE." connects different industrial data worlds. A start-up that fits to the state of production.

Image: ThingOS Team at Arena 2036

y Read more under "Corporates & Start-Ups" 7

Start-Up “ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TECH DISRUPTORS IN THE AUTO- MOBILITY SPACE."

“ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TECH DISRUPTORS IN THE AUTO- MOBILITY

SPACE." what3words it's not a coincidence that this disruptive technology start-up has come to Stuttgart to make its way into the vehicles of the future.

Image: what3words presskit satnav

y Read more under "Corporates & Start-Ups" 9

Education “DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE OUR INTER- NATIONAL STUDENTS FEEL AT HOME."

“DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE OUR INTER- NATIONAL STUDENTS FEEL AT

HOME." Universities in Baden-Württemberg have understood that they have to be open, attractive and welcoming for international talents.

Image: Universität Mannheim

y Read more under "Education" 11 BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG: FACTS & FIGURES

AREA AND POPULATION • Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany and among the third largest both in area and population. • Area: 35,751 square kilometres • Population: 10,952,000 inhabitants • Population density: 310/km2 • Population in proportion to Germany: 13.3%

ADMINISTRATION • Founded on 25 April 1952 • Parliamentary Elections results of the 13th of March 2016 ECONOMY (Percent/Seats): • GDP: 493.265 Million Euro (2017); in the manufacturing industry the Greens (30.3/47) Federal State has a total turnover of 152.934 Million Euro CDU (27/42) • Baden-Württemberg is proud of supporting a number of AfD (15.1/23) well-known enterprises in the state, for example Daimler AG, Dr. Ing. SPD (12.7/16) h.c. F. Porsche, Robert Bosch GmbH, Carl Zeiss AG, SAP AG FDP (8.3/12) • Growth rate of GDP (2017): 2,5 % • Government: Minister president Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) • Baden-Württemberg is divided in 35 districts FOREIGN TRADE (Landkreise) and nine independent cities (Stadtkreise). Both of them are grouped into the Export 2017 201,5 Billion Euro four administrative districts: Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Tübingen GDP 2017 493.265 Million Euro • Neighbour countries: Switzerland, France, Austria • Neighbour States: Bavaria, Rheinland-Palatinate, Export Quota 60 % Hessia

12 In Baden-Württemberg

EDUCATION • Universities: Heidelberg, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG IN THE WORLD Freiburg, Konstanz, Tübingen, Ulm, Stuttgart, Stuttgart- Hohenheim and twelve DHBW locations • Seven out of 34 nominated German elite universities listed in the national Competition of Excellence 2017 are located in in Baden-Württemberg • College and university students in Baden-Württemberg: 2017/2018: 363.572 2005: 243.000

50000

40000 A global success story

Total: 49.926 (100%) Total: Baden-Württemberg’s Internationalisation: The Last 30 Years 30000

20000 Asia: 16.527 (33.1%) Asia: EU countries: 14.364 (28.77%) EU countries: Other European countries: 11.400 (22.83%) countries: European Other 10000 Africa: 3.539 (7.09%) Africa: Americas: 3.851 (7.71%) Oceania: 160 (0.32%) Oceania: 16 (0.03%) Stateless: 0 Speciﬁed: 69 (0.14%) Not Number of foreign Students enrolled in 2017/2018

DESTINATIONS FOR EXPORTS (IN 2017):

EU 28 99,686 Mio € USA 23,409 Mio € SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT France 14,345 Mio € • Baden-Württemberg is at the unchallenged European forefront in re- Switzerland 14,054 Mio € search. In 2016/2017, the state’s expenditures for research purposes China 13,911 Mio € were 4.661 million Euro - around 1000 million Euro more than in 2010 Netherlands 13,254 Mio € • R&D intensity: 4,9% UK 12,174 Mio € • Baden-Württemberg makes 26% of the total investments enjoyed by Italy 8,581 Mio € R&D in Germany • Baden-Württemberg invests 4,7% of its GDP in Research and De- velopment (Germany: 2.8%) • Domestic applications for a patent in numbers: 133 per 100,000 inhabitants per year (highest in Germany) • The numbers show that Baden-Württemberg is the innovation region no.1 in Europe

INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE

• Manufacturing of vehicles (motor vehicles, trailers etc.): 30% • Manufacturing of machinery and equipment: 21% • Manufacturing of other fabricated metal products besides machinery: 7% • Manufacturing of electrical equipment: 6,6% • Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products: 4,3% TOP TEN OF EXPORT DESTINATIONS EXPORT TEN OF TOP 13 Sources: Statistisches Landesamt BW https://www.statistik-bw.de/, IHK (2016/2017), local global In Baden-Württemberg

“A fertile ground for innovation”

Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann on the challenge of disruption

INTERVIEW: LUCA WODTKE

14 Photo: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Photo: In Baden-Württemberg

How can Baden-Württemberg organizations, en- assert itself as a leading Europe- vironmental associa- an location for mobility? tions and civil society.

The automotive industry in What role does the Baden-Württemberg has traditi- network of higher onally been a central pillar of our education institutions value creation. But through elec- have in the country? trification, digitization, autonomous driving, and flexible usage The special strength of concepts the car is being reinven- Baden-Württemberg ted. There is much at stake for us: lies in our geogra- our technological pioneering role, phical structure: we our economic power, and our jobs have a decentralized and climate protection. university landscape Strategy dialogue Automotive and a decentralized economic structure. This distri- are a key to competitiveness. IT DOES NOT buted excellence keeps providing That is why our universities new inspiration across the state - already promote start-up culture MATTER not just in the metropolitan areas. in their studies and apprentices- We have the most diverse univer- hips. The transfer of disrupting WHERE YOU sity landscape in comparison to knowledge is not only achieved the other German states. Through by the cooperation of research ARE FROM, this, science constantly brings its and industry - but also by scien- innovative impulses on site - in tists contributing their ideas to BUT WHAT order to trigger the developments their own businesses. and changes that our economy YOU WANT TO needs to stay successful. And our research institutions have a OUR ACHIEVE strong focus on the areas that play key roles for the mobility of the DISTRIBUTED future, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and EXCELLENCE To face these" challenges, the state energy research. government initiated the stra- KEEPS tegy dialogue for the automotive How welcome are young resear- industry in Baden-Württemberg. chers and start-ups from all over PROVIDING Because we can only successfully the world? meet the requirements of the new Very welcome, of course! It is not INSPIRATION mobility in the close cooperati- significant where someone comes ACROSS THE on of politics, business, science, from, but what he or she wants to workers' organizations, consumer achieve. Disruptive technologies STATE

That is why we" do a lot to create a positive start-up climate, such as the research campus "ARE- NA2036", its accelerator program "Startup Autobahn" or the "Cyber Valley". As part of the Start-up BW launch offensive, there are seven other Start-up BW accelerators and ten start-up ecosystems nationwide. These are ensuring that innovative ideas fall on fertile ground here in Germany. ■LW

15 In Baden-Württemberg

WINDS OF CHANGE Baden-Württemberg’s challenges – an opportunity for talented people from abroad

TEXT: HANS GÄNG

he figures that we use each time to profile the Those that stayed founded companies or became Baden-Württemberg economic region speak industrial workers. Steinbeis, the resourceful promo- Ttheir own language: the economy of this federal ter of the economy, stimulated industry, particularly state is more firmly tied in to the global division of in the Neckar region around Stuttgart. Bosch and labour than ever before. But this also make it more Daimler are the oldest and most well-known of these dependent on it than ever. “garage start-ups”. But even today’s “global market leaders” (original) started out in the 1950s, 1960s It was a long journey getting to that point. Of cour- and 1970s actioning new ideas. Some transformed se, the path taken was not pre-specified or easy. You their start-ups into global companies – like the Stoll don’t need to be an economic historian to recall the family in Esslingen, for instance, who turned FES- “milestones” in the south-western corner of Germa- TO into a global automation player. When he was ny’s rapid economic development. The 19th and 20th young, recently deceased Kurt Leibinger trained as century start-ups do it all the time at their impressive an engineer in Cincinnati/USA, and then back home anniversary events. in Ditzingen built Trumpf up to become an international market leader in laser technology. Hermann Pilz For instance, powerful LBBW celebrated the fact and later his wife, Renate Pilz evolved their business that it has been “receptive to new ideas and challen- in Ostfildern into a production safety specialist in ges for 200 years”. When it was established and for demand all over the world. several decades after that, Baden-Württemberg was a land of emigration. There wasn’t a village in the The region and its companies want to continue Swabian Alps, the Black Forest or at Lake Constance telling such tremendous success stories. To do so, that hungry, enterprising young people did not leave they need to master two challenges in particular – behind - cheap ocean passages to America were once digitisation and internationalisation. To master both, sold in the Stuttgart building where this magazine is companies require new recruits and new ideas. produced.

16 In Baden-Württemberg

“Woher nehmen und nicht stehlen?” (literally: where are you supposed to get it from without stealing it?) is an old Swabian expression. After all, small and medium-sized enterprises are competing against the global giants to attract the best minds. And even big names Daimler, Porsche and Bosch, for example, are very much aware that innovation does not grow on trees. Massive investment in training as well as the establishment of creative, disruptive “ecosystems” are one approach. The state government supports ths.

INNOVATION equally in demand at headquarters and coworking spaces in Baden-Württemberg as on site in Budapest, DOESN'T GROW Shanghai or Singapore.

ON TREES Global minds and new communities are changing companies. “New in BW” is aimed at people who Internationalisation is the second challenge: being have come to Baden-Württemberg from abroad to able to develop and manufacture products to the seek new opportunities. They have already demons- same standard of quality and look after customers trated their willingness to embrace the wind of ch- worldwide – that increasingly requires talented ange by relocating to Baden-Württemberg. Now they people with an international mindset. They are are one of the state’s most valuable assets. ■HG

The new immigration law: what will it change?

The flow of migrants entering Germany requires for old laws to be amended and modernized, and for new laws to be created. Currently, in Berlin, a new immigration law is being agreed on. This law is supposed to regulate the immigration of workforces into Germany.

Germany needs this workforce: the population is aging rapidly There are empty occupations throughout the country, and the lack of national employees to take these places means that the list of occupational fields in which the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) diagnoses a shortage of skilled workers is getting longer and longer.

The following points have been raised during the discussions in the governing coalition

ffPeople wanting to work in Germany must present a valid job offer, their qualifications, language skills (an attempt to learn German), and their age. ffGerman job seekers will not have priority for open occupations. International and national applicants will be treated equally. ffInternational school degrees equal to the German Abitur/Hochschulreife/Fachabitur to be accepted as equals. ffQualified foreign experts looking for a job in Germany will receive a certain amount of time to find a job before having to leave the country again. ffThe process of accepting an asylum seeker will happen quicker. If the individual has a job perspective and German skills, they are more likely to be accepted for a stay in Germany. (“Spurwechsel - change of tracks”)

17 In Baden-Württemberg

EUROPEAN EXCHANGE ON A BUSINESS LEVEL: Erasmus for young entrepreneurs

Looking for a fresh impetus for your young business or business idea? Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs helps you put your business idea into practice.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a business and in- In order to register, the new entrepreneur needs to terpersonal exchange financed by the European Com- provide a CV in English, a business plan and a descrip- mission to support entrepreneurship across Europe. tion of his profile, knowledge and expectations. For How does this work? A founder of a new business, a the host entrepreneur in turn only a CV and a short so-called new entrepreneur, spends between one and description of his needs and offers are required. Re- six months in another country working with a more gistration is for free and without commitment. Many experienced entrepreneur. For each month abroad he European countries are part of the programme and or she receives a sum between 530 and 1.100€ depen- it is now also possible to travel to the USA, Singapore ding on the chosen country. By participating in the and Israel. business exchange both entrepreneurs learn new skills or perspectives from each other. On the one hand, the new entrepreneur gains valuable knowledge about best practices on managing a company. On the other hand, the experienced entrepreneur gets fresh ideas and views on his or her business and access to a new For more information and to register, please visit: market. Quite often the two entrepreneurs become www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu business partners, start a new venture together or collaborate in other ways. Got interested? Don’t hesitate to contact us:

The new entrepreneur is a person either willing to Baden-Württemberg International start a business or with less than three years of ex- Eva Gutbrod perience in managing a business. The experienced entrepreneur, called host entrepreneur, should be a [email protected] company owner or manager with more than three 0711-22787-41. years of experience in operating a company.

18 In Baden-Württemberg

1 February 2019 Start-Up BW Summit 2019 Landesmesse Stuttgart

19 Corporates & Start-Ups

20 Corporates & Start-Ups

“Innovation is lived internationally” Interview with Moritz Gräter, Managing Director of CODE_n

INTERVIEW: LUCA WODTKE | HANS GÄNG

Everyone is doing start-ups these the end, it doesn't matter where What can potential founders days. How is CODE_n different the ground-breaking industrial expect from the Festival? from the rest? application comes from - Black Forest or Bolivia - we just have In particular, potential founders The difference is that CODE_n to find it. Our recent start-up can expect to meet with entre- does not aim at start-ups but at competition received applica- preneurial role models. If you innovation. It is important to have tions from 42 countries, and the are a potential founder at this a start-up ecosystem embedded 50 finalists come from 15 coun- event and you meet founders who into an innovation ecosystem. tries. Furthermore, we don’t only have already taken this step, have The innovation ecosystem con- have local partners, but also large already had positive experiences sists e.g. of high-quality start-ups, international partners which and have research institutions, investors, think globally. Even at CODE_n learned universities, and international SPACES in Stuttgart, the level from the OUR FESTIVAL companies, which in turn can of internationality is increasing bad ones, WILL SHOW act as investors and co-creators. more and more. Innovation is then it is That's the big difference - we lived on a global scale. incredibly THAT promote and nurture innovation; import- and start-ups are an important How attractive is Stuttgart for ant and INNOVATION piece of it. founders from abroad? helpful in ECOSYSTEMS the initial WE PROMOTE Stuttgart is highly attractive stage of FROM ALL for international founders. For starting OVER BADEN- AND NURTURE example, there is the de:hub ini- your own tiative of the Federal Ministry of business. WÜRTTEMBERG INNOVATION. Economics, of which CODE_n is There are ARE WORKING also a founding partner of de:hub around START-UPS Stuttgart. Here we have discussed 130 start- TOGETHER ARE AN with the other founding partners ups at the to work out what the stance of festival to IMPORTANT Stuttgart is; e.g. the established talk to and companies with whom you can share ideas with. One can" also go PIECE OF IT work together easily. Neverthe- to the Partner Lab1886, the incu - less, there is still more to do, as it bator of Daimler, and bring along is not internationally known that their plan and work on their own Stuttgart is a great place to start. format at the festival. Here, you How international" is the DNA of Stuttgart is only the first step - we can also learn how to develop bu- CODE_n? have to think a bit bigger. Greater siness models from your format. Baden-Württemberg must see Therefore, this festival has both Even though CODE_n is now an itself as a joint innovation pool. - entrepreneurial role models independent company, we were In addition to all the international and substantive inspirations - to founded by GFT, a company that innovators, our Festival will show achieve the goal: to create your thinks internationally. That's why that innovation ecosystems from own reliable and feasible network, CODE_n was born to always keep all over Baden-Württemberg are helping you to develop your start- an international perspective. In working together. up. ■LW

21 Corporates & Start-Ups

Review: CODE_n hosts 2018 new.New Festival The GFT start-up CODE_n hosted a large festival for other start-ups and entrepreneurs from the 8th to the 10th of October 2018. The event took place in Stuttgart in the Hans-Martin Schleyer Halle.

new.New Festival 2018 was opened international and global this festival with a discussion panel between was. The five individually designed Ulrich Dietz (Initiator CODE_n GmbH), stages hosted speakers for over 70 Moritz Gräter (Managing Director hours. CODE_n GmbH), Dr. Nicole Hoff- meister-Kraut (Minister of Economic On Monday, the press conference Affairs, Labour and Housing for the was held by Moritz Gräter, Ulrich State of Baden-Württemberg) and Dietz, Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, the Sophia the Robot. Sophia is a hu- current CEO of GFT Marika Lulay, manoid robot who came all the way and the Head of Lab1886 Susanne from Hong Kong to attend the festi- Hahn. These five individuals were val in Stuttgart. She was the perfect also part of the nine jury members taster for the festivals main focus: for the CODE_n CONTEST. Over 300 Artificial Intelligence (AI). international and national startups expressed an interest in the 6th cont- The event lasted 3 days, from est, and the jury chose the Top 50 to Monday the 8th of October to Wed- be present at the new.New Festival nesday the 10th of October. Rounda- 2018. These Top 50 were from across bout 200 companies displayed their 15 countries. ideas and products, each sat in a little booth made out of wood and The Top 50 of the start-up contest neon green tape. Of these compa- were joined by another 80 other nies, more than 100 were start-ups, start-ups from all over the world. of which 50 were the finalists of the They presented themselves as CODE_n CONTEST. the accelerators of the state Ba- den-Württemberg. On Tuesday, the Aside from the companies, there Top 10 of the start-up contest gave were almost 220 speakers from 20 their final pitches. They each had countries giving insights into current 2:30 time, and when they only had 30 developments relevant to Intelli- seconds left, a big timer appeared gence X.O - showing really just how on the Main Stage screen behind

22 Corporates & Start-Ups

them, so that the whole audience cal tracking system that can be used could see their time ticking down as in a variety of hardware systems, the start-ups hurried to finish their such as cars, drone and VR headsets. Review: presentations. It combines electronics, optics, and algorithms to offer ultra-fast optical On Tuesday evening, the judging tracking. CODE_n hosts panel announced the winners of the different categories. Start-ups were CODE_n has had over 1,900 young contending for the awards of “Best companies from 85 countries since 2018 new.New Festival Business Model”, “Best Tech Innova- 2012. First winner of the contest was tion”, “Best Industry Disruptor” and the then unknown Hamburg-based “Overall CODE_n Award”. There were start-up MyTaxi in 2012. This was fol- three subcategories that the busi- lowed by Changers.com and Green- ness models fit into; Beyond Reality, clouds (2013), Viewsy (2014), relayr Machine Intelligence, and Crypto- (2015), and Xarion (2016). 2015 winner graphic Trust. Each winner received a relayr, barely 5 years old, was so prize money of €5,000 and an Award successful after the contest that the insurance group Munich Re (Münch- It was so international that the Top ner Rück) acquired it in September 10 Startups of the CODE_n CONTEST for $300 Million. were from six different countries. The winner of the “Overall CODE_n The media coverage for the new. Award” was Airfox, an innovative New Festival 2018 was impressive: company from the USA. Out of 313 there were more than 2100 news applications from 42 countries, the articles, radio broadcasts, and TV Boston based start-up won the reports. Furthermore, the event was “Overall CODE_n Award“ and the mentioned on social media over prize for the “Best Business Model". 233 million times and reached over Airfox has developed a blockchain 145 million readers, listeners, and finance Android app that allows for viewers. micro-loans to be sent across people without being bound to a bank. They Next to the talks and pitches, there received the prize money of €15,000 was a large selection of workshops for winning two awards. and interactive activities for visitors and fellow entrepreneurs, but also Winner of the category “Best In- corporates, to join. In the middle dustry Disruptor” was the German of the hall, you could see a huge start-up thingsTHINKING. This young Lab1886 Daimler truck. Inside, work- company is based in Karlsruhe and shops would take place daily. Aside develops semantic software solu- from all the business, the festival was tions that allow for computers to accompanied by music, art, and even understand human speech. meditation by a mindfulness coach.

The winner of “Best Tech Innovation” All in all the new.New Festival 2018 was the Jerusalem-based company in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle Six Degrees Space. The Israeli start- in Stuttgart was aesthetic, intriguing up has developed an innovative opti- and successful. ■LW

23 Corporates & Start-Ups

The best of two worlds - Daimler’s way into the start-up scene

As the recent Daimler slogan says, it’s either the best or nothing. To ensure that they will not be “nothing” in the wave of start-ups rising in Baden-Württemberg, Daimler has created the Lab1886, an innovative home for all small companies. Susanne Hahn, Head of Lab1886, describes what start-ups have that Daimler hasn't, and what Stuttgart means to the world of automotive industry.

INTERVIEW: LUCA WODTKE

Daimler has been an innovative implementation of new business The Lab 1886 strives to constant- company since 1886 - what does models, combining the best of the ly advance the mobility of the Lab1886 bring to the table, start-up and the corporate world. future and to support the imple- that Daimler did not have befo- Currently, more than 30 projects mentation of new business more? such as "CHARK.me" (Change The dels at a very high speed with the Way You Park) for services related most modern start-up methods. Within the Daimler AG, Lab1886 to a parked car, or the first vehicle Among other things, the Lab1886 pursues the goal of reaching the subscription model "Mercedes me functions as an incubator, which product from an idea even faster. Flexperience" are piloted in the in particular promotes emplo- In particular, new business ideas Lab1886. As the incubator of the yees' own ideas. outside the core business are Daimler AG, Lab1886 provides identified, incubated and brought not only creative workstations In this context, the potential of to market. but also qualified personnel who the submitted idea is in the fore- competently accompany the ground in the first phase of the As an independent innovation Daimler employees in implemen- "Ideation". In the so-called Shark laboratory, the Lab1886 brings all ting the idea. Tank, a preliminary selection of the necessary resources and com- ideas for the next phase is made petencies as well as more than How do you go about scanning using known tools from the ten years of experience in the potential startups? start-up world. The previously

24 Corporates & Start-Ups

selected projects quickly the innovative ideas can How do you make sure that the should thrive in the be developed from the new ideas start-up spirit and motivation is second phase of the and these can be proven in the preserved in the big company? so-called "incubati- set milestones and processes. If on phase", ready for an idea does not stand up to this The spirit and the motivation are the market. Th- stress test, it will be discontinued ensured by supporting the teams rough the targeted - for example, if the project is not through targeted coaching and support of specia- scalable or does not bring about mentoring, their own co-working lists, coaching, and the desired success after the pilot spaces and workshops, thus en- financial support, phase. abling them to design new proto- the start-ups should types and powerful pilot projects be prepared for the Is there a successful start-up together within short sprints. Far harsh outside world. example that shows this? away from the usual corporate structures, Lab1886 employees Therefore, if the The best-known example is the have tremendous freedom and new idea has the po- free-floating car sharing service the necessary support to shape the tential for a future car2go, which was created in the future of mobility. business model, the Lab1886. But also projects such Roll-out takes place as the mobility platform moovel, What do you advise international in the third phase the driving aids ex works or the talents that are here in Baden- of "commercializa- innovation ecosystem STARTUP Wuerttemberg studying: found tion". This process AUTOBAHN or the established your own start-up or apply for a concludes with remanufacturing division, which job? the transfer to the specialize in the reprocessing of Daimler organizati- Mercedes-Benz original parts, Justifiably, one could now ask: why on or a spin-off. have their origins here in the lab. does one not start his own business with his brilliant idea? The answer Atlanta, Beijing Currently, we are working to this is often heard in the start- and two locations together with the startup "Vo- up scene: many have great respect in Germany - how locopter". As early as 2016, we for the risk of having their own important is in- discovered that a new segment, company. ternationality for a new urban taxis ecosystem, is innovation? emerging. Based in Bruchsal, the The Lab1886 offers a decisive ad- German start-up developed the vantage here: it combines the best For the strengt- first all-electric multicopter as a of both worlds: the start-up spirit hening of the global passenger aircraft. Together, we with the security and power of a project portfolio, want to once again write pionee- large corporation. In this way, we cross-site coopera- ring work in the mobility segment offer a unique co-creation platform tion and the de- of the third dimension. For what to optimally exploit the potential velopment of new connects Daimler and Volocop- of both dimensions and above all high-potential market segments ter are that both are pioneers of to get very different perspectives are of great importance. We share mobility. on a project or an idea. ■LW ideas, experiences, and people's know-how, creating a highly efficient and effective innovation network. Our standardized networks and methods help us to speak in one language worldwide.

What role does the factor "speed" play when a start-up enters Lab1886?

Lab1886 combines the best of both worlds: the know-how and safety of the company with the speed and culture of start-ups. The factor "speed" is crucial in this context when it comes to how

25 Corporates & Start-Ups

ON THE AUTOBAHN TO SUCCESS A mix of suits and brightly coloured sneakers - that's the charm of Startup Autobahn. We gathered impressions about this innovative platform at an event hosted in the Arena2036 in Stuttgart

TEXT: LUCA WODTKE

It is named after the German high-speed motorway – At the Meetup Event end of September in honour of the only one in the world without speed limit. And just the launch of “Program 5”, start-ups from all over the like the Autobahn, the exchange platform aims to ac- world pitched their company to their fellow col- celerate joint projects between young tech companies leagues and potential investors. The evening was for and experienced corporations of the automotive field. networking, exchanging ideas, and finding the perfect corporate. Startup Autobahn was launched by Plug and Play Germany together with Daimler AG, the University After the start-ups leave the so-called incubator and of Stuttgart and ARENA2036 e.V. These experienced accelerator stages, they are eligible to join Startup global players and innovative heads from economy Autobahn. For these ‘post accelerators’ a whole new and higher education have created a place that brings world opens: suddenly, they are global, being watched together startups from around the world with experts by investors from every corner of this planet. from Silicon Valley, and the best engineering provi- The Senior Vice President Global Sales of the Silicon ders from Germany. Valley based start-up Cogniac,Vahan Tchakerian, said that even though they are from the ‘original’ Sili- All involved parties contribute to the growth of tech- con Valley, his company has always had an excellent nology companies in the region of Baden-Württem- relationship with Plug and Play and therefore Startup berg and support joint projects between international- Autobahn was the next step. As for why he came to the ly active corporations, the start-ups and the corporate German Silicon Valley, he said, “Germany is very key partners of the platform-founders. Besides being the as it’s heavily manufacturing based and our solution is birthplace of the automobile and therefore the most very much aligned with industrial manufacturing and suitable place for this platform, Stuttgart is in fact one industrial inspection sectors.” of the leading IP regions in the world and a hub for business, engineering and breakthrough inventions. There have been over 130 start-ups altogether, and in the last program, start- ups managed to raise over $250 Million.

The goal of Program 5 is for the chosen start-ups to stand on stage on the 21st of February 2019 and an- nounce who they are, and what they achieved.

Startup Autobahn is a great innovative platform that is attractive to founders, investors, and genuinely interesting for the community. As Vahan Tchakerian said, Cogniac is part of the Startup Autobahn because they want to “build relationships, help other start-ups, support PnP and their amazing effort to connect corporate customers to start-ups. It’s a process and a very good one.” ■LW

„Plug and Play Global Innovation Award“ Ceremony 2018

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CONNECTING LARGE AND SMALL ACROSS THE WORLD What Plug & Play Germany GmbH is heading for

TEXT: SAEED AMIDI, CEO & FOUNDER AND SASCHA KARIMPOUR, CEO GERMANY

With the overarching goal of connecting large compa- A platform can be highlighted here: STARTUP nies with worldwide technology start-ups, Plug & Play AUTOBAHN, powered by Plug & Play in Stuttgart. Germany has become a notable international innovation accelerator. The vision of the platform is to com- This innovation platform gives startups access to Sili- municate the opportunities offered by Silicon Valley con Valley's unrivaled technology know-how and the and to make them accessible to both start-ups and lar- best German hardware expertise. Currently there are ge companies. Plug & Play seeks to drive technological 19 partners here including Daimler, Porsche, BASF, advances by bringing the young companies together ZF, DPDHL (but also the University of Stuttgart or with the right departments of the largest companies the research campus ARENA2036), which have so far in the world. Plug & Play builds neutral innovation created more than 220 innovation projects with 139 platforms to create and drive joint technology projects start-ups in the field of mobility and industry. between the two lots. Silicon Valley has several advantages over Germany, such as networking, location and quality of life. Plug & Plug & Play is represented in various industries such Play, however, manages to be there where the depart- as Insurtech, Fintech, Retail, Mobility, Health, Logi- ments of the companies can network with start-ups, stics, etc. Plug & Play provides the necessary partners thereby enabling and establishing real projects. and contacts between small businesses, companies and research institutions in Germany and worldwide and is the neutral moderator for all games. Even after In addition, Plug & Play organizes more than the contacts have been established, Plug & Play mo- 365 events worldwide each year to network derates the cooperation and provides companies with start-ups, companies, research institutions financial resources and advice. and investors - and acts as an investor itself.

It has become the largest global accelerator By building platforms, Plug & Play does not only with technology focus and venture capital enable cross-industry networking, but also networking with more than 6,000 supervised startups between young tech companies and established large and 220 large business partners worldwide. companies. Plug & Play Germany enables the implementation of innovative projects by bringing together the right people from start-ups, departments of com- Most start-ups Plug & Play supports find partners in panies and research - so any innovation challenge can their industry. The advantages for start-ups: financing be tackled. without equity, the right contacts and considerable growth potential.In Germany Plug & Play Germany Plug & Play Germany GmbH is nominated for the GmbH accelerated 209 start-ups and 42 major compa- Diesel Medal in the category "Best Innovation Promo- nies in their projects in its current 4 locations (Berlin, tion" for the international networking and promotion Stuttgart, Munich and Frankfurt). of start-ups and the facilitation of pilot projects.

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"We can significantly accelerate the development of smart device applications"

Smart home, smart industry, smart everything - learn about an IoT solution to all of your out-of-business issues. More about this startup in our interview with ThingOS COO, Matthias Mögerle.

INTERVIEW: LUCA WODTKE

Who are you? How would you phase, we support the transfer of Stuttgart. Later in 2017, the 6 describe ThingOS? from a prototype to a product by founders then came together to providing an extensive rollout in- found the company ThingOS Our slogan describes our key frastructure as well as a cloud-ba- GmbH, which was notarised in expertise – bridging differences sed Application-Store for deplo- February 2018. in wireless and wired sensor/ac- ying smart applications across tuator technologies to drastically environments and locations. Since 2017, we have extended the speed-up our customer's develop- ThingOS technology platform ment of smart environments and When and where did everything and used the platform for pro- industrial internet (Industry 4.0) start? jects in the smart home and smart automation scenarios. By using industry context. our technology platform (hard- The origin of ThingOS has been ware and software) in the proto- set by Thomas Kubitza (CEO). As How did the Startup Autobahn typing/demonstrator phase our a PhD candidate at the University help you? customers can focus on solving of Stuttgart, he developed the business problems instead of technology platform on which Via the Startup Autobahn, we got low-level problems. Fast iterations ThingOS is now based. This was deeper contacts to the regional (minutes instead of months) and embedded in a 4-year EU project. and international industry. The short feedback loops guarantee The commercialization of this Startup Autobahn does a very that many innovative ideas can be technology platform started as a good job of networking startups practically tested in a short time university spin-off in 2017 via the and established companies. In the and that real added-value is iden- TTI GmbH (Technology Trans- process of the Startup Autobahn, tified quickly. In the production fer Initiative) of the University for example, we carried out a

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project with Daimler and Hewlett With our presence in the Startup What is the future for ThingOS? Packard Enterprise in the context Autobahn and ARENA2036, we of Industry 4.0. In the industrial can achieve very good visibility We will continue to expand our context, sensors and actuators both nationally and international- ThingOS technology platform. were linked by our technology ly, to make further contacts. This will especially take place in platform and applications for the Smart Industry, Smart Home production and order picking Why are Baden-Württemberg and Smart Retail segments. Our were developed. and the region Stuttgart interes- vision is to become the most ting for you? attractive edge connectivity How many employees work at platform in the technology space. ThingOS? BW is characterized by a speci- So if somebody wants to connect al mixture of the industry. Big smart devices in the future, he Meanwhile, we have 10 emplo- corporates like Daimler, Bosch should definitely think of us and yees and are about to enlarge our and Porsche, but also hidden know that we can significantly team. Currently we are especially champions like Kärcher and accelerate the development of looking for web and embedded many other bigger and smaller smart device applications. ■LW developers. companies. This makes BW a special part of Germany with a lot of Are you international? large industry and great products. Visit the website to learn more Since our technology platform about this company under Due to the very good national combines sensors and actuators https://thingos.io/ order situation, we are currently of different products, we are ex- particularly active in Germany. actly right here in BW.

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“Our mission is to become a global standard”

Finding locations using 3 unique words - what3words is even planned to be implemented into the well known TomTom Navigation systems. Learn about the successful start-up in our interview.

INTERVIEW: LUCA WODTKE

Who are you? How would you NGOs and disaster response multiple awards for innovation describe what3words? teams to save lives. and partnered with many major organisations including Merce- what3words is the simplest way When and where did everything des-Benz, Lonely Planet, global to talk about location. We have start? logistics giant Aramex, the UN divided the world into 3m x and more. 3m squares, each with a unique what3words was founded in 3-word address. For example, 2013 in London, UK by Chris What is your connection to the the front door to our office can Sheldrick. Chris worked in the Startup Autobahn and Plug & be found at ///filled.count.soap. music industry organising music Play? As the only global addressing events around the world. When system designed for voice, what- bands and equipment constant- what3words joined the prestigi- 3words allows people to refer to ly got lost trying to find venues ous Startup Autobahn Accelerati- any precise location – a delivery and festival locations, it became on Programme in 2017. The sche- entrance, parking spot or remote clear that regular street addres- me opened many doors, helping drone landing point – saying just sing wasn’t good enough, and the what3words engage a number 3 simple words. world needed a simpler way to of senior decision makers at a talk about precise locations – the range of large corporations over Thousands of organisations have idea for what3words was born. a short period of time. Being adopted what3words to operate Chris enlisted a friend’s help and able to fast-track through this, more efficiently, and individuals together they devised a way to typically, slow process, enabled are finding, saving and sharing turn accurate GPS coordinates what3words to execute tests with places more accurately using the into user-friendly word combina- ambitious automotive innovators free what3words app. what3words tions and the first 3-word address in an agile way. The scheme has is integrated into car navigation algorithm was born on the back accelerated what3words work systems and ride-hailing apps, of an envelope. Since then the with automotive manufacturers can be used to deliver post in 8 company has gone from strength and helped to establish us as a countries to date and is helping to strength: it has picked up disruptor-to-watch within the

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of their native languages. Our increasing amount of time in the revolutionary technology is being Baden-Wurttemberg region and used in many innovative ways wider Germany - a country syno- worldwide; from improving the nymous with some of the finest, efficiency of DB Schenker’s sup- and most innovative, automotive ply chain in Germany; to giving manufacturing in the world. 120,000 residents living in the Rhino Refugee Camp in Uganda What does the future of what- an address, so they can tell health 3words look like? workers where they live in an emergency; to helping Domi- Our mission is to become a global no’s Pizza fulfil faster and more standard, so everyone everywhere reliable pizza deliveries on the has a precise and fixed address Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. they can use. Another area that Raising awareness for a universal is a future focus of ours is voice technology, designed for everyo- technology - as we firmly belie- ne, everywhere, means thinking ve that it is the next UI. Being internationally and travelling ex- the only system designed for tensively - presenting what3words voice, it’s quick and easy to speak to many CEOs and national addresses into the voice-powered governments the world over. In devices that are rapidly becoming 2017, CEO Chris had the honour an integral part of our lives. Spe- of delivering a TED Global talk in aking traditional street addresses Tanzania. is more complex to enter, often takes multiple steps and is prone Why are Baden-Württemberg to mistakes. Our voice-first tech- and the region Stuttgart so inte- nology is significantly impro- resting for you? ving communication between humans and machines. So as the Earlier this year Mercedes-Benz development of autonomous became the world’s first car vehicles, ride-hailing fleets, and wider automobility space. As a company to launch in-vehicle drone deliveries increase steadily, company, we continue to use our what3words navigation. With speaking 3-word addresses will be valuable connection with Startup headquarters in Stuttgart, what- the smoothest and most efficient Autobahn to drive more excite- 3words has spent a lot of time way to navigate the vehicles of the ment for what3words technology visiting the city to work closely on future. ■LW around the world. Clare Jones, all aspects of the integration. CCO, and Ashley Cashion, VP in Discover your 3-word address at the US, are among the members what3words is often cited as one map.what3words.com or via the of our team who have spoken at of the most exciting tech disrup- iOS and Android mobile apps. various SA Plug & Play events in tors in the automobility space Germany, Japan, and South Africa so we anticipate spending an to date.

How many employees work for what3words? what3words has quickly grown to a team of over 80 employees, with offices in the UK, US, South Africa, and Mongolia.

Are you international? what3words is being used in over 170 countries to date. Currently available in 26 languages, half of the world’s countries can already use what3words in at least one

31 Corporates & Start-Ups

From Virginia to Böblingen - country roads lead to Baden-Württemberg DXC Technologies is a corporate from Virginia, USA, who have their German headquarters in Böblingen, right in the heart of Baden-Württemberg. They are partners of the German STARTUP AUTOBAHN, based at Stuttgart University. We interviewed Innovation Program Manager for Industry 4.0 Manuel Meyer about the corporate.

INTERVIEW: LUCA WODTKE

As a corporate, what do you ex- proactive, and focused partners- • Testing a Proof of Concept pect from start-ups? hip, with the objective to jointly with Customers & Partners: help our clients become digital at this stage, we test the joint DXC Technology is a leading IT pioneers in their field. To estab- solution in a real-world services provider that aims to lish this relationship, we have set environment by engaging support its clients in their digital up a transparent path along with a customers or partners that are transformation. In this context, it dedicated team that guides start- interested in this topic. is key for us to be at the forefront ups through this process: of developments in innovation • Onboarding as DXC across various industries. To capi- • Selection: we look for startups Innovation Partner: After talize on the explosive advances that solve a concrete and successful completion of the in technology, we set out to build relevant business need in our previous steps, we onboard the an ecosystem of new partnerships clients’ industries, which we startup as a partner and discuss with startups in order to create can complement with our a joint go-to-market strategy. new and meaningful business so- DXC services, resources and lutions. In the future, the compa- integration capabilities to build How do you see Baden-Würt- nies that can build and maintain a strong value proposition. temberg as a hub for innovation a network of innovation partners and start-ups? are the ones that will succeed in • Technology Testing: in a set the digital transformation. We time frame of 100 days, we Innovation happens when deep provide this ecosystem to our work on joint prototypes to expertise meets new ideas and clients. test our vision, technology possibilities. It is especially po- interoperability between the werful when this can happen in Therefore, we don’t look for start- startups’ and DXC’s solution, areas with the ability to scale. I ups as suppliers to DXC Techno- and the cultural fit. During believe that Baden-Württemberg logy. In fact, we seek strong part- this phase, we work as one is a hub that is uniquely posi- ners with a joint vision: building team and solve the challenges tioned to facilitate exactly this. a trustful, honest, transparent, together. Looking at Baden-Württemberg

32 Corporates & Start-Ups

as a startup ecosystem, it What makes Startup Autobahn backgrounds and viewpoints. is smaller in terms of the and ARENA2036 different from number of startups and more all the other innovation plat- How will a good start-up idea be focused in terms of the topics forms? implemented in DXC - doesn’t than other internationally the small start-up get lost? renowned hubs like Berlin, Both Startup Autobahn and Silicon Valley or Tel Aviv. ARENA2036 are unique con- Two things: our approach and This doesn’t attract as many cepts themselves. ARENA2036, a the nature of our organization. investors compared to other research campus focused on the Our Approach: as already menti- hubs that could help scale the car and the factory of the future, oned earlier, we are building an businesses. allows its partners to explore the ecosystem of innovative solutions future of the automotive and based on our startup partners However, startups here manufacturing industries. With that supports our clients in their benefit from the prosperous a long spanning time horizon, digital transformation. Startups legacy of world-class indus- it is possible to think outside of bring their deep expertise in the try excellence based on a existing boundaries and explore specific field of their solution to landscape of leading enter- radically new ideas. The colla- the table, which we can comple- prises and hidden cham- borative nature and the ability ment with our DXC capabilities. pions, more diverse and to integrate startups as partners We strongly believe in the power impactful than any other. in the research projects is one of collaboration, which is what we These companies, headquar- striking argument for us as DXC also aim to represent in our joint- tered in this region, got to Technology to engage here. go-to market. Therefore, we work where they are now through together on solutions and give the their engineering acumen On the other side, Startup Au- startup access to our client and and willingness to push the tobahn’s focus is on the collabo- partner network. boundaries of innovation. In ration with startups and existing times of constant change and technologies. In my opinion, Star- Our Organization: the DXC disruption, they are looking tup Autobahn differentiates itself Digital Services Innovation Team for startups that help them from other innovation platforms for North and Central Europe is a innovate their business and through the focus on prototyping unit within DXC Technology that stay ahead of the game. and execution. Whereas other is specifically set up to support innovation platforms focus pri- the startups in accessing the right This is the perfect ground for marily on identifying startups or departments and stakeholders wi- startups in the Baden-Württem- supporting them to find the right thin DXC Technology. The team berg region. There are ecosystems business models or go-to-mar- helps the partner to build proces- evolving around this concept of ket strategies, Startup Autobahn ses including a technical evaluati- bringing the startups together continues beyond this with the on, the training of resources, and with the corporations in this regi- objective of connecting startups the go-to-market planning, and on. This helps startups to benefit with the relevant business units of as such ensures the success of the from the unique characteristics of the corporate partners to pursue collaboration. the region by getting access to key joint projects within a 100-day stakeholders at these companies program. Through this, we as a To conclude, our startup partners, that can potentially be a startup’s partner can focus our efforts on small or at scale, have great ideas customer at scale. For examp- testing the relevant technologies and we make sure that great ideas le, Startup Autobahn, which and getting to know the startups don’t get lost but help our clients to emerged to be Europe’s leading on a very detailed basis, which successfully thrive on change! ■LW innovation platform in only about allows us to form successful inno- 3 years, or ARENA2036 are two vation partnerships. great examples that show how this Manuel Meyer is Innovation Program can be operationalized. The exciting part about ARE- Manager at DXC Technology, responsible for NA2036 and Startup Autobahn the Industry 4.0 innovation activities within North and Central Europe. He identifies, BADEN- is that these two collaborative, tests and scales new technologies to help cutting edge innovation platforms customers embrace the power of new ideas WÜRTTEMBERG are combined under one roof. within their existing business framework. In This brings together the concept addition, Manuel manages the partnerships IS THE PERFECT of long-term research and the with the innovation platform STARTUP AUTOBAHN and the research campus GROUND FOR agility of technology startups, ARENA2036. creating a space with a large set STARTUPS of engaged partners, and diverse

" 33 Corporates & Start-Ups

“It’s very important to support your workforce.”

mm-lab GmbH General Manager, Dr. Andreas Streit answers questions about the welcome and innovation culture of his IT-company. He shares how the recruiting of foreign specialists is handled by his company and what is being done to create a career entry for international specialists.

INTERVIEW: ARIADNE DIMAKOU | EDIT: LUCA WODTKE

Tell us about the recruitment of provide new professionals with a has become a scrum master (team international employees. How mentor who is familiar with the leader in software development) many are there and how do you company and its culture, but also within half a year. She came to us find them? with the work content. Ideally, with very simple German langu- this mentor also has appropriate age skills and is learning German About 18% of our workforce is migration experience. In exch- very fast. made up of foreign employees. ange, we do expect new emplo- We look for these at specialist yees to speak enough English. As events and job fair in the regi- soon as they join us, we actively WE CAN LEARN on, but also over the Internet support and encourage them to FROM OUR and through the ZAV (Zentrale learn German. Most work content Auslands- und Fachvermittlung) can be translated into English, but EMPLOYEES AS of the recruitment agency. We we consider learning German a recruit international workforce necessary prerequisite for a suc- MUCH AS THEY both abroad and in Germany, for cessful integration into job and LEARN FROM US example from German universi- life in Germany. ties. Are there any examples of a How do you make these interna- quick rise and a successful career " tional specialists feel comfortab- by foreign talents in your com- What positive impulses do le in your company? pany? young foreign specialists give for the corporate culture? Before the employee arrives in Most certainly. Our project Germany, if necessary, we will assistant comes from Central Several years ago we had several take care of moving and registe- America and came to us with a young developers from Spain ring in advance and support them good German language skills. with us. They showed us that in their search for accommodati- She has accepted the support of even in project management, the on. When it comes to logistics, a all our customer projects within Spanish way of life of not approa- German employer can achieve a a very short time and is actively ching all problems too stubbornly lot with little effort, for example changing her role. Now, she is can be profitable for all. We learn if he approaches a landlord and also responsible for the project from our employees, and they recommends the new employee. purchasing. We have hired a soft- learn from us. ■AD When joining the company, we ware developer from India, who

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A home for social entrepreneurship

The social entrepreneurs have been represented for a time already in Baden-Württemberg and are continuously gaining importance. In Stuttgart, they have an active supporter for over 20 years now: the Social Impact gGmbH.

TEXT: ARIADNE DIMAKOU

Since its foundation in 1994, the Social Impact gG- entrepreneurship in Baden-Württemberg. This program mbH from Stuttgart has been developing products is sponsored by the Vector Foundation, Karl-Schlecht and services that secure the future viability and social Foundation and Caritas Stuttgart. For more information, equity in the region of Baden-Württemberg’s capital. please visit the website: https://stuttgart.socialimpactlab.eu/ The NGO operated for its first years under the name ‘iq consult’ and is ever since instrumental in designing Success in numbers and implementing innovative qualifications as well as In the period between 2011 and 2017, among the social supporting socially disadvantaged groups. start-ups taking part In the Social Impact’s programs

Consultancy based on social responsibility awareness XXsome 400 teams were taken on Social Impact provides expert start-up consultancy. XXabout 200 teams set up a social enterprise For several years, the NGO operating today from the XX just over 20 teams discontinued their business estate of Stuttgart’s Merz Academy has focused its activities work on supporting social startups that use their ideas XXand numerous teams won over 170 national and to solve social challenges in an entrepreneurial way. international awards Those start-ups are given grants that fund up to eight The goal of excellence months of professional consultancy, coaching, workshops and co-working workplaces. Social Impact also The services of Social Impact gGmbH have won many offers foundation programs for special target groups awards from, for example, the BMAS (abbreviation like migrants, young unemployed people and people for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs), with disabilities. BMWi (abbreviation for Federal Ministry of Econo- mics and Energy), The German Council for Sustainable Social Impact Labs: Space for social innovation Development, the EU, the OECD and the initiative Since 2011, the Social Impact gGmbH has been “Germany - Land of Ideas”. The CEO of Social Impact developing labs offering programs for start-ups in gGmbH Norbert Kunz was made an Ashoka Fellow and various German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, won the 2010 Social Entrepreneur of the Year award Frankfurt, Leipzig, Duisburg, Potsdam and Stuttgart. by the Schwab Foundation. Social Impact has a staff The labs provide a scope for co-working, networking of about 90 people and is sponsored by various well- and events in addition to the programs mentioned known companies and foundations. ■AD above. The Social Impact Lab Stuttgart has developed the „Wirkungsschaffer“ (German for “the impact More information on the NGO’s international networks and makers”) program to support social innovation and working areas here: https://socialimpact.eu/EN

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Learning added value in another dimension Global Player Festo AG from Esslingen introduces its learning factory

It is a feature of the region: Baden-Württemberg’s economic strength in Germany and beyond the local borders is based on the readiness of its people to reinvent products and production.

The Festo AG & Co. KG is another local hero with a technology, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, global reach, located in Esslingen am Neckar in the CNC and telecommunications to name a few. Intu- southeast suburbs of Stuttgart. The company delivers itive and fast learning is achieved through practical pneumatic and electrical automation technology with learning systems and so-called learning factories that great success over many years. But this is only one make the technologies and processes of industrial field of competence. In 1965, FESTO established its production immediately tangible and understandable. subsidiary company Festo Didactic, which has developed into the world's leading educational service With experienced trainers and consultants as well as provider in the field of industrial automation. the right formats and methods, Festo Didactic empo- wers industrial companies to increase the efficiency The product and service portfolio offers customers of their supply chain and related processes and to gain holistic educational solutions for all areas of technolo- competitive advantages. With over 850 employees gy in factory and process automation, such as pneu- in 80 countries, Festo Didactic is the world leader matics, hydraulics, electrical engineering, production in industrial education and training that makes the

36 Corporates & Start-Ups

employees of interested companies and thereby the Expert meeting: Festo’s learning factory companies themselves successful on a sustainable and Scharnhausen demonstrable basis. At its new Scharnhausen plant, Festo AG faces the challenge of counteracting the special demands of Consulting services learning combined with everyday work tasks. Apart from providing professional trainers, FESTO Didactic also offers consulting to companies aiming As a didactic image of the main Festo factory, the to change or better say to optimize their strategy and Scharnhausen technology factory is a decisive impulse business processes on the long term. Taking into ac- generator for the automation of the future and the count the aspects of change management, the further leading Festo plant for the production of valves, valve development of management processes and the terminals and electronics. On 220 square meters and introduction of strategic competence management in freely designable learning places, the imparting of complete the systemic approach. knowledge and skills to more than 100 learning topics is possible. The employees of the plant will complete On this basis, FESTO Didactic develops together with an average of more than three training courses per its customers sustainable solutions for their projects year. Learning added value in another dimension on the way to the highest added value in their production system. The counseling service is supported The modules are designed so that participating Global Player Festo AG from Esslingen introduces its learning factory by the in-house seminar offers accompanying the professionals can train before, during or after their project. shift work. Those modules have this way a practical relevance by proximity to the real processes, but also Seminars enable a trouble-free and close to the real working en- Seminars, workshops and simulation games take place vironment learning. The teaching staff are managers in over 30 venues in Germany, Austria and Switzer- and experienced employees who train in real, didacti- land. In addition to the basic seminars, exercise-rela- cally simplified workplaces. ted trainings enable the teaching of specific contents and relate to the working environment of the partici- What distinguishes the learning factory in Scharn- pants. The topics are combined or adapted to specific hausen as a learning location are productive and requirements and special features of every single energy-efficient processes, the highest quality of the company taking the training. In addition to theory, products and a pronounced customer orientation as practical exercises are a focus and are carried out on well as a sustainable and environmentally conscious specially developed training devices with the latest production. Further objectives of the training in the industrial components. learning factory are shorter training periods, increased flexibility and significant influences on cross-cut- The coaches of FESTO Didactic either come to the ting issues such as energy efficiency or manufacturing company’s premises or they carry out the training in a processes. ■ Festo training room - also in the new Festo technology and learning factory in Scharnhausen, where learning Learn more on https://www.festo-didactic.com/de-de/ becomes tangible in the work process.

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Dual Education: The slightly different training-on-the-job TEXT: ARIADNE DIMAKOU

▶ A success story from the pre-industrial era rently to the industrialisation of the economic pro- The roots of vocational training lie in the pre-indust- cesses. Germany passed the Handicrafts Act (1897) and rial age of Germany. Back then, when the guilds were handed the responsibility for the regulation and im- representing what we today know as the professional plementation of the practical training of the country’s associations, it was custo- mary in some cities to train apprentices practically in A salary the craft sector. The latter that increases had to attend even final Training Contract as the training examinations, which were signed between advances defined and implemented by apprentice and the guilds. In the course of 3 years of company history, and especially during training the industrial revolution, the training 3-4 days craft enterprises got under a week in the company increasing pressure, though. Educational A corporist Manufactures, liberal views settings regulation on professional and trade The state vocational state and economy freedom and the rigid nature school and the are equal partners of the guilds ultimately led company in the education to the end of the then known vocational training model. Every country reacted diffe- The dual training system established in Germany is also widespread in Switzerland, Austria and Den- mark. Similar, also vowed vocational training systems are the English "training-on-the-job" model, where professional skills are conveyed as needed, as well as the French model of training at state-run vocational schools with a weaker involvement of the economy. 38 Education

apprentices over to the craft chambers. The over Later, the German industry also followed this training model and developed DHBW: 12

it further in line with the labour market Numbers Locations 20 requirements. In 1969, the German State Heidenheim, Heilbronn, Kar- courses of study became the second central player in the & lsruhe, Lörrach, Mannheim, in the fields of regulation, implementation and promo- Mosbach, Bad Mergentheim, technology, tion of the vocational training, and still Figures Ravensburg, Friedrichshafen, economics and plays an important role. Ever since, the Stuttgart, Horb social sciences vocational training, known in Germany as “Ausbildung”, has been uniformly over regulated all over the country. 7150 ▶ The characteristics of dual education: 9000 An overview is the current 3

What began in October 1974 as a pilot companies and number of project with 164 high school graduates social institutions in Campuses Baden-Württemberg staff and 50 companies from the regions around Stuttgart and Mannheim, has now developed into a successful higher education concept for Baden-Württem- berg. For the first time in the recent history of the practice contents are closely aligned with each other dual training concept, the high school graduates, who and the curricula are determined by the training staff enrolled back then for their studies at the Vocational to comply with current developments in business, Academies (German “Berufsakademien”) in Stutt- technology and society. The achievements in the gart and Mannheim, were taught by their professors practical phases are an integral part of the studies. and additionally by specialists from various business ▶ What characterises the labour market in Germany? enterprises at the companies’ premises. That way, Dual Education: The slightly Throughout the past ten years, employment in Ger- the foundations were laid for the establishment of an educational institution, which enables and further de- many has grown to the highest level since the coun- velops such a "dual higher education": the Cooperative try’s reunification in 1989/1990 – the accession of the different training-on-the-job State University of Baden-Württemberg (in German German Democratic Republic (DDR) to the Federal “Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg”, abbreviati- Republic of Germany. By the end of 2015, there was on DHBW). an increase in employment in almost all sectors and in all federal states, and the trend remains upward. The ▶ What distinguishes the DHBW from the training-on- predictions of the Federal Ministry of Economics and the-job-model? Energy demonstrate the employment of around 44,9 If you look at the university landscape of Germany Mio citizens in the country in 2018 and a declining and on the regularly appearing worldwide university unemployment rate (3,1% in 2018, 2,9% predicted in rankings, you will see that there are so many different 2019). study options as there are opinions about the quality of the offered courses. The advantages of the DHBW Among those sectors, the so-called tertiary sector - concept consist, on the one hand, of the altering public and private service providers like commerce, theory and practice phases and, on the other hand, of transport, real estate leasing, financial services, the close cooperation with the economy. Nevertheless, tourism, health care and social security, banking and one should consider the DHBW for more than just a insurance - dominates with 32,98 Mio employees (and brokerage event where the students can meet the one 68,7% of the GVA in 2017). The manufacturing industry or other famous employer. As the name suggests, the has been and remains, though, an important one in central feature of the DHBW is its dual study concept: Germany, with about 10.7 million employees in 2017 practice-oriented studies and an academically deman- and a contribution of 25,6% to the country’s GVA in ding teaching. 2017.

At the DHBW, students change their learning environ- At the same time, the importance of other industries ment between the lecture room and the employer's is reduced considerably, like, for example, the con- premises every three months. During their residence struction industry (812 thousand employees in 2017, and active training at the employer’s site, they acquire 4,9% of GVA) and the agriculture and forestry sector professional knowledge and practical Know-How, as (620 thousand employees in 2017, 0,7% of GVA). Other well as the necessary work and social competences sectors experiencing an importance decline are the needed in their later professional routine. Theory and commodity and production industries, capital goods

39 Education

and consumer goods manufacturing, energy and market over the past 12 years. While in 2005 there water supply. were more applicants for training courses than actual workplaces within the companies, in 2017 both the Between the Federal States of Germany, Baden-Würt- number of places offered and the number of young temberg has acquired a pioneering role with an un- people in need of vocational training increased. Ho- employment rate of 3.1% in June 2018 - including with wever, for the eighth consecutive year, the number of 2.5% the lowest youth unemployment rate in Germa- training places that could not be filled rose. Counting ny - and a real economic growth of 2,3% by the end 48,900 open training posts in 2017, Germany is look- of 2017. The demand of the economy has remained ing back at a number so high like in 1994. On the other unbroken with 104,245 vacancies ( January 2018) and is hand, the negative trend in demand for apprentices- increasing. hip places has been broken: it rose for the first time since 2011, among other things because more and Having the above said in mind, it is obvious that the more refugees were to be found among the training job demand is shaped to a considerable extent in ac- place applicants. cordance with the labour market situation - and indi- rectly in accordance with the offer and demand in the The situation of demand from both sides varies per field of vocational education. It’s a fact that the labour State. In Western and Southern Germany, and among market situation in Germany depends to a decisive those States also in Baden-Württemberg, sufficient extent on the in-company training and dual educati- company training centers provide many apprentices- on system. Today, the unemployment rate of young hip places, but there is a downside to it: a saturation people up to 25 years of age in Germany has dropped in the demand within certain work areas. In particu- to 6,2 % in June 2018 -that makes Germany second in lar, the commercial area, the media sector and the the lowest unemployment rates, Baden-Württemberg artistic and creative professions like Media design and being the Federal State with the lowest unemployment marketing are just before demand saturation - those rate (2,6% in July 2018, followed by Bavaria with 2,7% were the numbers for 2016/2017. The fields looking, and West Germany with 4,6%). In the generation of 25 increasingly worried, for trainees are commercial to 30 year olds’, about 4,1 Mio (corresponding to about trade, hotel and catering professions, food production 60% of this age group in Germany) are permanent and sale, as well as the branches of construction and employees and, among those who have completed a precision engineering and tooling technology. dual vocational training at a company, approximately 31% were taken over and employed long-term in 2017. The above listed disparities generate doubts about the future of the success story "in-company training” and ▶ So, are dual studies the backbone of the modern accordingly the success of the dual studies concept. German economy? One thing is clear: in order to remain attractive to Despite the promising numbers, there has been a the economy and the applying young adults, the dual significant change in the German vocational training education system has to adapt continuously to the developments on the labour market. Considering the changes and the demand for qualified personnel in the professional structure as this is being introduced in Germany for the past years - which initiated among other the new immigration law for also non-EU citizens - the country and its qualitative higher education and economy landscape must develop new promising training programs. That is an important starting point for the attraction of local and international talents which will not only provide the economy with competent in-company trained professionals but also make the vocational education and dual studies model attractive again. That is a demonstration of the slogan “one hand washes the other” which may bear fruit and shape considerably Germany’s further efficiency in the global economy. ■AD

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“We are an ecosystem for innovation”

President of the Cooperative State University of Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) Prof. Arnold van Zyl on the uniqueness of the dual concept

INTERVIEW: ARIADNE DIMAKOU

Four different areas of study, How does your institution adapt up those impulses. However, the over 20 degree programs, 100 to a rapidly changing world, for unique feature of the DHBW are fields of study, about 33.500 example through digitalisation, the companies that are involved enrolled students in the past Mr Prof. van Zyl? in the processes of curriculum winter semester (2017/2018): development and management, The Cooperative State Univer- We are successful in this adaptati- and which also provide lecturers. sity of Baden-Württemberg has on, because here in Baden-Würt- That's how we stay agile and have grown into a giant in the German temberg we have an active ecosys- adapted a range of programs higher education landscape. tem of innovative companies in to meet the demands of digital Their dual concept is in demand all industries and in every com- business models. However, we do worldwide and appealing equally munity. Our sensors for change not want to train a pure Bosch or to school graduates, companies are our course leaders, who look Daimler engineer - and we value and politicians. We spoke with after the students on site but also degrees that are academically the president of DHBW, Pro- the companies where the practice recognised but also relevant. fessor Arnold van Zyl, about phase takes place. internationalisation and why This is also attracting great atten- this educational concept is not Our study commission in the de- tion from abroad. How internati- blindly transferable to foreign partments of technology, econo- onal is the DHBW? economies. mics and social affairs then picks

41 Education

Our international strategy is In Taicang in China, where based on three pillars. That is, Kern-Liebers and many other WE HAVE NO first of all, the needs of our dual medium-sized companies from partners. They are successful Baden-Württemberg are based, CLAIM TO companies that are strong in we have created an engineering exports and often have branches degree program for 25 students ESTABLISH abroad. Teaching intercultural together with the dual part- competence to our students is, ners and the Chinese education OUR OWN therefore, a very important part partners. In this case, we applied of the curricula. This lecture is our advisory capacities and have COLLEGES filled with life in the exchange developed a model of a curricu- ABROAD semesters our students can attend lum in consultation with a local and, of course, in the internships education partner and our indust- abroad in the companies. Nearly ry partners. 40% of our students go abroad " during their studies. We also help in the further educa- for the investment and settle- tion of teachers in the premises ment of industrial companies. OUR of the companies. But the respon- Our advice is appreciated, by the sibility for the organisation as well way, also in the third pillar - our EDUCATIONAL as the awarding of degrees lies en- involvement in development co- tirely with the partner in Nanjing. operation. Here, we work together MODEL We have no claim to establish our with the GIZ (abbreviation for COMBINES own colleges abroad. the German term for “German Corporation for International ACADEMIC So, acting like the Anglo-Saxon Cooperation”), especially in Latin universities, which are expan- America. There is now a network EDUCATION ding abroad with their own of nine universities and colleges, brand, is out of the question for called the “Dual University Latin WITH THE the DHBW…? America”. Currently, we are also GOAL OF involved in building a dual uni- Yes, definitely. On the one hand, versity in East Jerusalem. EMPLOYABILITY we wouldn’t be able to deal with the specific features of the local The recruitment of foreign and different educational cultu- students has not been listed as a res. What is important to us is the pillar of internationalisation… And what are "the activities of feedback from companies that your university abroad? want to remain internationally Deliberately not, because we can competitive. This also helps the not really actively go into recrui- The second pillar of interna- business developers, who thus ting abroad. The prerequisite for tionalisation consists, indeed, make their region more attractive studying at the DHBW is, in addi- of our own activities abroad, where our partners report demands and needs. Take Kecskemet in Hungary, where Daimler and Knorr-Bremse and other enterprises are active. Together with the university there and the German industry, we have designed an engineering course on site, to which we contri- buted with our Know- How. Our tasks are the conception, the media- tion of teachers and also the quality control.

42 Education

tion to the Abitur (German high school degree), still a signed em- WE MUST ployment contract of the students at a company. Of course, if one of AND our industry partners announces the need to train 15 to 20 people WANT TO from all over the world here in Baden-Württemberg, then we can FOCUS ON respond to the demand of the OUR CORE Dual Partners with curricula and even provide courses in English. BUSINESS But the initiative must come from the companies. We must and want HERE IN THE to focus on our core business here in the country. COUNTRY

And despite that, the international admiration of the dual model Prof. Arnold van Zyl in Baden-Württemberg won’t " diminish. What requirements must be met to enable the im- object, the reflection on it, the del, but the cultural, financial and plementation of the dual studies subsequent theory formation and educational conditions that must abroad? the renewed practical discussion exist for this success are often not are a cyclical and innovative lear- considered. The DHBW is, there- First of all, it is important not ning model. And fourth, you need fore, not an export good that you to confuse our model with that the know-how to organise such can easily shop. It has to be done of the dual vocational training. a model in practice. The organi- locally, by the people there. And Those two different concepts are sation is, by the way, not entirely the DHBW's DNA also means that very often thrown together and trivial, we've learned that throug- we are an innovative university, regarded as a promising German hout over forty years now. a third, independent pillar in the solution: If your country had it educational landscape - and not as well, you would perform the With those four criteria, the a hierarchically subordinate add- same in the global competition. number of education systems, in on to the regular operation of This view is, I think, nonsense. I which the concept of the Coope- universities or technical colleges. see four prerequisites for a dual rative State University of Ba- This is the only way we have orientation to work. First, there den-Württemberg could be easily become attractive - for the best really needs to be a critical mass “exported”, is greatly reduced… high school graduates in the State of companies that can and will as well as for education policy far proactively invest in their emplo- Yes, that's right. Many politicians beyond Baden-Württemberg and yees’ minds as well as in curricula only see the successes of this mo- Germany. ■AD and teaching. Secondly, there is a real need for acceptance in the education systems as such, including a formal acceptance: accreditation and certification of the dual studies model are urgently needed. The refusal of a "degree" still means that you can not study "outside of an university”. Third, the dual approach won’t work without the willingness of universities and their professors to accept and co-develop a dual model of full-fledged academic education. And at the universities, a cultural change is needed as well. A dual system can not be commanded. The teachers have to be convin- ced that the practical study of an

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UNIVERSITY OF FURTWANGEN: “WE MAY BE SMALL, BUT WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER” In the scenic black forest in Baden-Württemberg, we find a university with high tech IT-facilities and amazing career possibilities. Furtwangen University presents itself in a pitch.

Where we are needs of our students. We have a great deal to offer - a Furtwangen University lies in the Black Forest region dynamic, international atmosphere, forward-looking of southern Germany. This beautiful area, with its degree programmes, exciting research opportunities, rolling hills and vast forests, is one of the most popu- high-tech facilities, a safe and supportive learning en- lar holiday areas in Germany. Yet, Furtwangen's loca- vironment, top quality teaching, and close links with tion in the very heart of Europe means many major the business sector. cities, such as Strasbourg, Stuttgart, and Zürich are not far away. What's more, this is one of the fastest-gro- With over 60 innovative and practical degree pro- wing and most vibrant economic regions in Europe, grammes at both bachelor and master's levels, and the home to many global companies such as Porsche, option to do a doctorate in some fields, we provide Daimler, Bosch, Siemens and SAP, with whom Furt- a wide range of academic opportunities. Our strong wangen University maintains excellent contacts. international orientation means we offer an ever-in- There is a welcoming atmosphere for students from creasing number of programmes taught in English, around the globe on the HFU campuses. “We are truly besides our bilingual and German programmes. international,” says HFU President, Dr. Rolf Schofer, Students from over 90 different countries around the “with students from over 90 different countries, sever- world have already graduated. Almost half of our deal degree programmes taught entirely in English, 140 gree courses include an internship and we encourage partner universities worldwide and an international our students to take exchange semesters abroad. We body of staff.” In 2013 Furtwangen University had the make this easy by providing all the organizational sup- highest percentage of non-German academic staff of port students need, including the option of studying all universities in Germany. at one of 140 partner universities around the globe. All our degrees are internationally-recognized and our Who we are accreditation award means the high quality of all our Furtwangen University (HFU) is a state-run univer- degree programmes and services is guaranteed uni- sity of applied sciences with around 6000 students, versity-wide. Over 170 professors, with top academic, located on 3 campuses in and near the Black Forest. professional qualifications and broad-ranging interna- Being small enables us to focus on quality and the tional experience, provide outstanding teaching. High

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rankings in European university league tables reflect modern campus has high-tech labs and an IT infra- the excellent reputation for teaching, research, and structure. employability which we enjoy among students and employers. The Schwenningen Campus is situated in the twin town of Villingen-Schwenningen (c. 80,000 inhab- Our students benefit from friendly contact with itants) approximately 30 kilometres east of Furtwan- professors and staff, as well as from our outstanding gen. Students studying at the Schwenningen campus support services and facilities. These include ult- can take advantage of all the facilities this bustling ra-modern laboratories, a high-tech IT infrastructure town has to offer, from shops, restaurants, pubs and and one of the best university libraries in Germany. cafés, to a modern indoor swimming pool, an ice rink As an Elite Sports university, we also make it easier for and cinemas. Established in a former clock factory, top athletes to continue their studies while competing. the campus architecture is a mix of historic and mo- A practical, top quality, "Made in Germany" degree dern buildings, including the award-winning library from a prestigious university guarantees excellent completed in 2011. career prospects. The newest and smallest campus in Tuttlingen (c. Our degree programmes 35,000 inhabitants) is located in an area of green We offer 60 innovative bachelor's and master's degree countryside, commonly known as "Medical Valley", in programmes in the following areas: the centre of the medical technology industry. The town is built around the Honberg Hill, site of a ruined XX Engineering medieval fort, nowadays used as a picturesque locati- XX Computer Sciences on for festivals and concerts in summer. Tuttlingen is XX Business Information Systems a world centre of medical equipment production with 50% of the world's surgical equipment manufactured XX Business Administration and Engineering here. XX Digital Media XX International Business Practical degree programmes XX Health/Life Sciences HFU graduates have excellent career prospects due to the applied nature of our innovative degree program- Consecutive master's degrees and doctorates (PhDs) mes. Our academic programmes are specifically desi- It is possible to go on to do a postgraduate master's gned to provide graduates with the practical skills and degree and even a doctorate (PhD) in some fields. Our knowledge required in the working world. Research is doctoral programme, which is organized with affiliate an important part of many of our master's degree pro- universities, has allowed many of our master’s gradu- grammes. It aims to meet the specific needs of end- ates to take this step. Some have now become profes- users, finding practical solutions to real-life situations. sors themselves. HFU cooperates closely with the numerous high- Study programme format tech firms in the fields of electrical and mechanical The degree programmes are made up of a series of engineering and modules which are completed over a period of several in the automotive semesters. These are usually taught in the form of and computer lectures. Project work and presentations, often carried industries which out in groups, are an integral part of our program- are located in this mes. Many of the English and bilingual programmes area of southern have a strong international focus, including languages Germany. Pro- such as French, Spanish or Chinese and intercultural fessionals are communication modules, as well as integrated exch- invited to lecture ange semesters and foreign internships. International or are involved students have the option of doing an internship in in developing the Germany or choosing another country. curriculum and also act as internship or thesis partners. Our campuses The Furtwangen Campus, the original and largest of These factors explain why Furtwangen University is The Furtwangen Campus, the original and largest of ranked highly in the area of employability by both the 3 campuses, is located in the centre of the small national and international businesses, and by our stu- town of Furtwangen (c. 10,000 inhabitants), in the dents themselves. ■ heart of the Black Forest. Furtwangen was historically an important clockmaking town and the university More information can be found on our website: https:// has its origins in the former clockmaking school. The www.hs-furtwangen.de/en/

45 Education

STUBE BW: STUDYING BETWEEN CONTINENTS

The study supporting programme STUBE enables young people from Africa, Asia and Latin America to pursue their studies in development policy. Director Angelika Weber on her work.

TEXT: ARIADNE DIMAKOU

n the Wintersemester 2015/2016, Baden-Württem- from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Euro- berg’s universities counted around 35,000 foreign pe - in short STUBE - was established in Stuttgart. Istudents. Among them, more than half originate The program is an intercultural and interdisciplinary from Africa, Asia or Latin America. But the country education program that is concerned with both the or even continent of origin is not the decisive factor further education of the students here in Baden-Würt- when it comes to the challenges met while studying in temberg as well as with their preparation for the the Federal State. The young newcomers are con- return to their homelands when it is time. STUBE fronted with both the new content of the university is supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church courses and the integration into a foreign culture. of Württemberg and is also funded by funds from Finding one's way around university and working life the Evangelical Church of Baden, Brot für die Welt is difficult for many students not yet familiar with (German for “Bread for the World”), the Diocese of the processes of Germany’s upper education system, Rottenburg-Stuttgart and the State Ministry. labour market and society as such. The special feature of STUBE is that the program ▶ A study program develops into a community deals predominantly with so-called "freemovers" - In order to help the young newcomers take their first that means students who enter Germany without a steps in Baden-Württemberg and to support their scholarship and have to finance their studies from studies, the study accompanying program for students their own pockets. Angelika Weber, director of STUBE

46 Education

Baden-Württemberg, explains the particular difficul- as in a coaching which qualifies them as speakers in ties which students from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe schools or similar institutions. In those institutions, and Latin America are facing in the Federal State: "To the young students are offering interactive lessons on be able to enrol here, those students are demanded to a topic of their choice. "It feels like integration from have a bank account with an amount of approximately both sides" says Karen, who has been a referent in 8,000 euros, which must be renewed again and again. the multiplier program twice. "Knowing that you are They do not have access to this money, the account is contributing to the learning process of others and, in locked. That’s why the young people coming to study particular, knowing that they hear this way about my here make their living in the evenings, on weekends or country is a good feeling”. in the semester break all by themselves. They have to live very economical and modest”. ▶ The option of returning home Apart from the multiplier program and the develop- ▶ Sharing is caring - beyond the classroom ment policy seminars, STUBE provides its students STUBE is not a scholarship program, though. The with the option of returning to the homeland. The educational offers provide development-related program supports pre-vocational internships and training and awareness through various seminars and study visits (BPSA) in the respective home countries workshops. These are divided into ten weekend semi- of the students with taking over the flight costs, the nars and several day seminars, which are spread th- health insurance and a pocket money of 300 Euro. In roughout the year and cover topics like health policy, order to be considered for such a country exchange, climate change, racism, development policy or food students have to visit two STUBE seminars and make security. "You have to imagine STUBE as develop- an application pointing out the developmental rele- ment-related studies," says Angelika Weber. In addi- vance of their stay. tion to the acquisition of content related knowledge, these seminars also are a possibility for the students to Karen herself was in Kenya about two years ago as part share their opinions and views with each other - proof BPSA and worked there for four weeks on a project fessionally as well as privately. on slum upgrading. The program gave her a lot of self-confidence and relief, as she says: "Knowing that Karen is from Kenya and is studying “Planning and you can go home and have the opportunity to find Participation” in Stuttgart. Although she feels well in work there has calmed me down a lot," she says. First, Baden-Württemberg, she was often lonely at the be- however, she would like to gain work experience in ginning of her studies. "I did my bachelor's degree in Germany in order to be able to apply her knowledge Tübingen and was the only one from Africa there" she in her home country. recalls. "At STUBE, I've met a lot more students who have the same experiences as me. STUBE has given me a sense of a community”. However, for Karen, WITH OUR PROGRAMS, STUBE is important also for other reasons. There is a lively exchange among the students at the offered WE WANT TO HELP seminars, she says. Whether it's the search for a job, an apartment or any other difficulty - the seminars serve STUDENTS RETURN the students as a way to build a network and help each other. TO THEIR HOMELAND AS HIGHLY QUALIFIED STUBE HAS GIVEN SPECIALISTS ME A SENSE OF A – Angelika Weber, director of STUBE COMMUNITY – Karen That's exactly what STUBE" is all about, says Angelika Weber. "With our programs, we want to help students return to their homeland as highly qualified specia- ▶ The multiplier program:" Integration from both sides lists", she says. And she wishes to all of her participants STUBE not only supports the students in their inte- a successful return to their home countries. "My hope gration process, but also provides them a platform is that they can go home after five or ten years”. Of to talk about their home countries and to impart course, she also has an understanding for students knowledge. The multiplier program serves exactly this who want to get a good job in Baden-Württemberg purpose. In the framework of this program, students and stay. “Economically it's a great location here”, she take part in three particular STUBE seminars as well says. ■AD

47 Education Welcome Freshmen! Movie nights, pub crawls and international dinner - how universities in Baden-Württemberg welcome international students

Universität Mannheim

The University of Mannheim attracts students from all over the world. Enjoying the international atmosphere, every fifth student at the university comes from abroad to pursue their degree in Mannheim. There are many reasons for this:

Since the University of Mannheim is the first German university to adopt the international academic calendar, international students can easily integrate their stay abroad into their studies.

Furthermore, the University of Mannheim offers a wide range of degree programs and courses taught in English for international students who choose to either come as an exchange student for one or two semesters or as a degree-seeking student completing a whole program of study.

At any time, the International Office assists international students with questions con- cerning their studies abroad. During the Welcome Week, we hold different orientation events and receptions providing students with important information about the studying system and living in Mannheim. Additional services and international events, e.g. Campus Tours, accommodation services and the International Dinner help students in the process of settling in and connecting with fellow students.

Of course, students can learn the German language and experience the German culture either by attending the International Summer and Winter Academies or further language and cultural courses during the semester. Our buddy and coaching program is a fantastic opportunity to learn German outside the classroom while meeting local students.

Additionally, the International Office supports degree-seeking students in preparing a smooth transition into the German job market as part of the program STEP by STEP by offering workshops, application trainings and information events.

Visit us online on https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/

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Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart

Willkommen an der Hochschule der Medien!

We here at HdM provide an exciting, interesting and colour- ful Orientation Programme for all new international students at the beginning of each semester. During our orientation period we bring us all together: Internationals, their HdM Buddies, International Office staff and professors. All new students get introduced to life at HdM, we help them with practicalities at and outside of the university, offer campus and city tours - and also have fun leisure activities. Faculty coordinators meet students in the beginning of the semester for an academic advisory session.

Later in the semester we organize the international movie nights, pub crawls through beautiful small bars, visit other German cities and do cultural excursions.

We always do our best to make our Internationals feel at home and to have a broad smile on their faces!

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, International Office

"Welcome Days" approximately two weeks before lectures start with the aim to facilitate the social and academic entry for newly enrolled international students at the University of Freiburg.

“Arrival Days” especially for (overseas) exchange students who come to Freiburg for one or two semesters due to bilateral university contracts - the Arrival Days are offered before the Welcome Days; during the Arri- val Days, these exchange students receive a welcome pack (including various information material, dorm keys, Unicard, health insurance, bank account, etc.).

For more information on the Arrival Days, visit: http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/de/ beratung/austausch/freiburg-global- exchange/anreise-start

In cooperation with the Studierendenwerk Freiburg (SWFR), the "International Semester Start Party" takes place at the end of the Welcome Days. The SWFR will also provide further offers for international students during the semester. For more information on the SWFR, visit: https://www.swfr.de/freiburg/

For this purpose, the departments carry out subject-specific introduction days approximately one week before lectures begin. These are aimed at both national and international students.

49 Education BUSINESS & RECRUITING EVENTS 2018/2019

NOV Jobmesse “Nacht der Unternehmen” 2018 When: 13. November 2018 Where: Mannheim, Congress Center Rosengarten Mannheim

When: 20. November 2018 Where: Stuttgart, Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Liederhalle (KKL)

Living and Working in the Stuttgart Region: Workers’s rights and employment Contract / Leben und Arbeiten in der Region Stuttgart: Arbeitnehmerrechte und Arbeitsvertrag

In order to work in Germany, it is important to know your rights and duties. German labour law is surely different from that in your home country.

When: Wednesday, 14.11.2018 / 6 p.m. Uhr Where: Weltcafé, Charlottenplatz 17, 70173 Stuttgart

Please register: http://wrs.region-stuttgart.de/workingtreaty

WiMa-Kongress 2018: Die Karrierebörse für die Fachbereiche Mathe, WiWi, Finance und Informatik

When: 17. November 2018 Where: Ulm, Forum der Universität Ulm

http://www.wima-kongress.de/

Jobmesse at Carl Benz Center: Informations- und Networkingplattform für Aus- und Weiterbildung

When: 17. - 18. November 2018 Where: Stuttgart, Carl Benz Center

https://www.jobmessen.de/stuttgart/

Successful Application and Working in the Stuttgart Region / Erfolgreich Bewerben und Jobsuche in der Region Stuttgart

The lecture will give you a better idea of employment prospects in Germany, and how the application process works. The event is free of charge and will be conducted in English and German language.

When: 27. November 2018 / 6 p.m. Where: Stuttgart, Weltcafé, Charlottenplatz 17

Please register: http://wrs.region-stuttgart.de/successful-application

CAR-connects: Die automotive Karriere-Messe

When: 28. November 2018 in Böblingen Where: Legendenhalle Böblingen MOTORWORLD Region Stuttgart

http://www.car-connects.de/

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DEC Welcome Club International Students - Quiz Night 2018 When: 03. December 2018 / 7 p.m. Where: Stuttgart, Weltcafé, Charlottenplatz 17

Welcome Club International Students - Italians living and working in Germany

When: 05 December 2018 Where: Stuttgart, Weltcafé, Charlottenplatz 17

Your path to a successful job interview: Informational event for upper-semester students

When: 12. December 2018/ 7 p.m.-8.30 p.m Where: Stuttgart, Weltcafé, Charlottenplatz 17

Interview Training für Internationale Studierende im höheren Semester (only in German).

Mit Anmeldung: Die Teilnehmerzahl ist begrenzt.

When: Friday, 14.12.2018, 10.00 a.m.-4.30 p.m. (individual appointments) Where: Stuttgart, Welcome Center Stuttgart/Raum: Globales Klassenzimmer (Eingang A, 1. Stock), Charlottenplatz 17

Further information and registration: https://welcome.region-stuttgart.de

2019 Bonding: Firmenkontaktmesse

When: 15. - 17. January 2019 Where: Karlsruhe, Kongresszentrum Karlsruhe

Job fair for international skilled specialists and trainees

There is no registration needed,

When: 01. February .2019/ 1.30-5 p.m, Where: Stuttgart, IHK Region Stuttgart, Jägerstraße 30, 70174 Stuttgart

Further information: welcome.region-stuttgart.de In cooperation with: Jobcenter Stuttgart, Agentur für Arbeit Stuttgart, IHK Region Stuttgart, Welcome Service Region Stuttgart/Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH

T5 Job-Messe: Die Karrieremesse für technische und naturwissenschaftliche Fach- und Führungskräfte

When: 27. März 2019 Where: Stuttgart, Haus der Wirtschaft

Bonding: Firmenkontaktmesse

When: 15. - 17. April 2019 Where: Stuttgart, Universität Stuttgart

KarriereStart: Jobmesse im Süden für Studenten, Absolventen & Young Professionals

When: 09. May 2019 Where: Ravensburg, Oberschwabenhallen

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GREECE - THE EXODUS How can the country win back the young talents it lost?

TEXT: ARIADNE DIMAKOU

fter the EU officially ended the financial support for Greece this August, the country’s eco- Taking a closer look at the youth unemployment rates Anomy stands on its own shakey feet. But even between the ages of 15 to 24, the number has decrea- though European politicians present the financial re- sed by 2% (from 44.2% in April 2017 to 42.3% in April scue program as a great success, there is not much to 2018). Among the 25- to 34-year-olds, unemployment celebrate for the Greeks. For January 1, 2019, further has decreased as well by 2% (from 27.5 % in April last pension cuts of up to 18 per cent are planned. A year year to 25.4% in April 2018). That is a small but for later, tax increases will follow, affecting mainly small Greece a noticeable improvement. Nevertheless, the and middle-income earners. Given those circumstan- brain drain remains a strongly present phenomenon. ces, it is highly unlikely that the Greek economy will recover anytime soon. A rich experience in emigration The background of Greece’s drama and how it got And what about the human capital? According to a into this downward spiral is more or less familiar. recent report of the European Commission, the un- Fiscal indiscipline, an introverted growth model dri- employment rate in Greece remains with 19.1% in June ven by consumption, a low degree of innovation and 2018 at a high level. Long-term unemployment (14.5% a hostile environment for entrepreneurship are only a at the start of 2018) and youth unemployment (39.1% few features that dragged the economy to the ground. in June 2018) also remain very high. However, the Eu- The country lost 25% of its GDP within the past six ropean Commission also points out that employment years. And despite the fact that structural reforms are grew by almost 2% in the first quarter of 2018 and this underway, there has been no improvement in the trend is expected to continue throughout the year. economy’s extroversion. Greece has not yet re-gained access to the capital market, at least not on rea- sonable terms.

In this framework, the most devastating charac- teristic of the Greek financial crisis is the unemployment across several important economic sectors and, building upon that, the increasing number of Greek citizens leaving their country.

According to experts, those circumstances have caused the fifth most intense migration wave Greece has faced in the past 100 years. Three of those periods, including the current one, are related to financial incentives. The other two would be the lost war against the Osman Empire and the related immigration to the USA in the early 20th century, and the guest workers movement towards Germany from 1960

Greek youth protesting in Athens. Photo credit: Konstantinos Koukopoulos to 1973. Considering the above, it can be said

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that Greece is historically and traditionally a country with a rich experience of emigration. To this con- clusion came also the Bank of Greece with its in 2016 published survey on the human capital flight Gre- ece is dealing with in the years of the financial crisis. This comparative study focuses precisely on three immigration waves - from 1903 to 1917, the dictators- How can the country win back the young talents it lost? hip from 1969 to 1971 and from 2010 to today - and reveals three key features: All three migration mo- vements have a duration of approximately ten years, Students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki an increased intensity of flow and a delay in starting in comparison to the very The outcome of this migration is not only emotional- moment of recording the high unemployment rate. ly difficult for the immigrating young adults, but it also affects the local economy. And in this context, the Poverty and emigration: Two painful consequences for Greek state and economy are challenged to tackle this Greece sad phenomenon efficiently with long-lasting positive Greece has lost approximately one million jobs results. throughout the past six years; that is 21% of the total jobs the country offered in 2008. The fields of const- How to win the young talents back ruction, non-food manufacturing and retail/wholesale As the report of the Bank of Greece outlines, a shift alone account for 2/3 of those one million jobs. Those of economy towards the production sectors as well as circumstances affect especially the country’s youth the support of young entrepreneurship are important over 35 years of age. What is interesting to note here for initiating the change Greece needs at the moment. is that youth unemployment is only partly an outco- In this context, the creation of a business-friendly me of the financial crisis. The other side of the story environment for start-ups as well as for those fields of is the fact that the Greek economy structure favours economy strongly represented in Greece is decisive. older employees. As a result, there is an uncontrolled According to the World Economic Forum's competiti- job loss for the youth, even in sectors that managed veness indicator for 2016, Greece is one of the largest to retain total employment. Considering this context, caterers of scientists and engineers in digital tech- young professionals seek a way out of those stuck nology as well as the health sector. The vast majority structures in sectors that are either underdeveloped of Greek physicians, educated and trained at great - like the social sector is in Greece - or branches that expense in their homeland, have headed for Germany require skills only they have - like ICT. Given this - about 25,000 Greek doctors were believed to work situation in their homeland, it is a logical consequence there in 2016. that young Greeks are emigrating abroad. Having the above said in mind, the crucial elements to According to all indications of the Bank of Greece’s build up an entrepreneurial institutional framework survey, the phenomenon of immigration was strongly are reducing bureaucracy and insurance contribu- observed in 2014 and 2015 and is still ongoing with tions, maintaining a state-friendly attitude towards uninterrupted tensions. Among those economic business and lowering taxes until the new venture migrants, young people in the most productive age becomes profitable. of 25 to 39 years reached a number of over 50% of all outgoing workers in 2016. This made Greece the Linking higher education with handcraft country with the highest immigration proportion specialisation among all EU member states. Another issue addressed by the Bank of Greece is the necessity to link higher education to handcraft specia- This current flight tendency mainly involves young lisation. In this framework, the adoption of a so-called people with vocational experience, who move mainly “dual education” as it is observed in Germany and to Germany, the UK and the United Arab Emirates. other countries of the North can be a tool to redefine

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the professions. Apprenticeships and internships shall that their homeland education institutes and the be supported more competent than so far, in order labour market have failed to create and provide them to equip young adults with a deeper knowledge of the with. So, rather than preventing this “Exodus”, Greece job. should support its relocating young adults to succeed abroad and simultaneously work on rebuilding the To the suggestions of the Bank of Greece adapts the country’s economy – so the left behind will be able to NGO Endeavour Greece. Observing Greek immigrati- develop and the gone abroad will return. on in their survey “Creating jobs for Youth in Greece” (2016), the NGO recommends an extensive change So, what can be done? not only in the structure but also in the mix of sectors To the philosophy of the Bank of Greece and Endea- in Greek economy. Specific export-led sectors like vour Greece adapts the World Hellenic Biomedical agriculture/food retail, tourism, ICT etc. will need Association that recently announced its new Research to aggressively grow in order to replace the share of Training Program in Clinical and Experimental Medi- activity previously allocated to other sectors that now cine. The program aims to support future doctors and deal with unemployment. At the same time, the local scientists graduating from the Greek universities in workforce will have to move between the sectors and acquiring specialty in university hospitals and medical develop new skills for positions they formerly weren’t centres abroad - initially in the USA and in the future qualified to work in. also in other countries. The courses are designed to give participants the necessary laboratory and / or cli- A flourishing growth of start-ups nical experience they need in order to be able to com- Of course, all those recommendations can’t be pete on the global market and finally get a position in implemented immediately. To cover the many lost a hospital or other medical institution abroad. vacancies and among those the 600.000 youth jobs Greece is lacking at the moment, about 10.000 new The interplay: State and economy fulfill a shift to- high-growth companies will be needed, each up to 50 wards a sustainable national economy, young im- employees. Those were the estimations of Endeavour migrants bring in their acquired skills from abroad Greece in 2016. But despite the flourishing growth of start-ups in the country - the number has increased 9 Projects like the one described above are not only times since 2010, the figure is almost doubling every strengthening the qualifications of the relocating year – the numbers don’t add up, that’s for sure. young professionals but are, furthermore, a remar- kable contribution to sustain the links to this new Given this framework, Endeavour Greece defines the generation of international Greeks. At the same time, current immigration wave as brain circulation rather it is sad to see that Greece is more or less forced to let than brain drain. It is all about pursuing changes its young potentials go. where they are. Moving and working abroad helps building an extrovert mentality within the Greek In 2019, elections will be held in Greece and the chan- economy and provides the young Greeks with skills ce of some corrective policies in fostering economy is becoming more realistic. Nevertheless, it is disappointing to notice that political parties only partially put youth unemployment and brain drain in the focus of the starting elec- toral dispute. In other words, young Greeks no longer put their faith into the political nominees because the latter are failing them.

What the Government can do, though, in order to attract its “brains” back is to levera- ge their development and success abroad so both, the young professionals and the Greek State, can achieve an elevation of the national economy. And this is how the interplay between those actors should look like: the government and the industries will have to fulfil a shift towards a favourable and sustainable national economy, so the young immigrants will be able to bring in their acquired skills from abroad and contribute significantly to Greece’s economic growth. Monastiraki square and station, Athens ■AD

54 Communities ¿POR QUÉ TE VAS?

The Spanish community in Stuttgart discusses their perspectives TALENTS & CAPACITIES WORLDWIDE

Thousands of young Spaniards were looking for jobs and personal development in Germany during the crisis - not too few in the Stutt- gart region. There, a large Spain network is very active: Consul General Carlos Medina-Drescher and the Economic Development of the Stuttgart Region have initiated it. At the edubiz conference of New in BW in June, the perspectives of the new migrants were discussed intensively: integration, education, and careers. But also the option of returning home - with a lot of professional experience in the bag.

Reviews and interviews on newinbw.de

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"YOU DON’T REALLY LOOK LIKE A KAZAKH"

Our author explains why she is German, speaks Russian, but comes from Kazakhstan. A life story.

TEXT: VALERIA T.

eople confront me with this reaction even today. from military service, tax exemption, freedom of re- Most of the time I don’t even bother to explain ligion and other privileges. Many thousands followed Pwhy I am German, speak Russian, but come her call and settled down mainly around the Volga from Kazakhstan. It is too complicated, anyway. Even and the Black Sea. They founded German villages my primary school teacher in the third grade couldn’t and built mostly closed societies, staying among their explain the difference between Russians and Kazakhs. peers. They had their own schools and churches, they On the first day of school, every child had to intro- spoke German and celebrated their own traditions duce the origins of its family. "Kazakhstan is in Russia, and customs. For the first 30 years it was like that, at children," the teacher added to my presentation. Well, least. The special status of German settlers changed, almost. But a miss is as good as a mile. I really wish however, considerably in the course of time and their I could turn back time, slip into my timid children's self-administration was dissolved. Despite all that, the skin and explain to this certain teacher that Kazakh- Germans were still living in good conditions, which stan is definitely not in Russia. Again, for the general led not least to an anti-German mood in the country. understanding: I was born in Kazakhstan in 1991. My mother comes from a German family, my father has When World War I broke out, the situation for the both Russian and German roots. In short, we are Rus- Germans in Russia turned drastically. Speaking the sian Germans. German language in public was forbidden and so were German newspapers and books. Although Germans The common history of the Russian Germans also fought for the Russian army, they were seen as an The common history of Russian Germans begins with "inner enemy". And their situation got worse. In 1917, Katharina the Great. The German princess and later the October Revolution took place, the Czar empire empress of Russia was the one who invited German was destroyed and the Soviet Union was founded. settlers to Russia in the 18th century. They should All those incidents were followed by civil war, forced farm this vast but man-free land. In exchange, the labor, a hunger catastrophe, and later by the people’s empress promised her fellow countrymen liberation oppression by Stalin. After the Nazis seized power

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over Germany and the following German attack on In 1996, we - my parents, the paternal grandparents the Soviet Union in the years 1941 to 1945 - the Great and I - arrived in Germany with just two suitcases. Patriotic War as it is called in Russia - the Germans Back in Kazakhstan we had sold and given away every- again were described as "fascists", "spies" and "enemies". thing we had. As relatives of my family were already Thousands of them were suspended from service in living in Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg, we the Red Army and were sent to the so-called "Tru- were also sent to this town. Today, almost twenty years darmija," the worker army, and forced to work. That later, my family still lives here and is glad that these happened also to my great grandfather. early years are long history. Still, the fact that life in Germany is not necessarily easier, but rather much Shortly after the German attack on the Soviet Union, more complicated, my family had to learn very quick- and in a framework of fear that the Russians and the ly - and what German bureaucracy means much more Nazi Germany could collaborate, the forced resettle- quickly. Packed with thick folders including all the ment of the Russians to the East began. The immigra- important papers under our arms, the whole family ting Russians were mainly deported to Kazakhstan, Si- marched through all the authorities and offices. Back beria, or the Urals. Families were torn apart, children then, only my mother understood a little German. were separated from their parents. Under the so-called Kommandantur strict reporting requirements, The initial enthusiasm faded quickly, not only in my exit restrictions and prohibitions were arranged. For family. For most of the Russians, moving to Germa- many Russian Germans the family trees and blood- ny was initially associated with a social and societal lines started to blur around this period. And the worst decline. School degrees and diplomas were not reco- part in their already tragic situation was that they had gnised. And the knowledge of the German language, to build their life from zero again. They built houses, so diligently cultivated back in the homeland, was in cultivated fields, bred cattle, reconstructed entire villa- Germany only sufficient for the communication at ges. And as time passed by, Russians and other Soviet the bakery. Everything that was built up in the Soviet citizens moved into these villages, too. Union was lost. Again, the immigrating Russians had to start from scratch. Many had an academic educa- “Homecoming” tion and high positions as doctors, engineers and It was in the sixties when the departure of the Russi- teachers. Suddenly, some of them worked on const- ans from Kazakhstan and the other populated regions ruction sites, in sales, or not at all. Not a few families slowly began.This movement flexibility they owe to were crushed due to those difficult times. Some of the German Christian-Democratic politician and the people, mainly the married Russian spouses, who later Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of had followed their partners to the German homeland, Germany Helmut Kohl. He and his party supported went back. this departure, this "homecoming", considerably. The people who left their homelands in the former Soviet Nevertheless, one can say that the Russian Germans, Union during this time, however, didn’t leave becau- especially in comparison to other ethnic groups, se they were living under bad circumstances. Those performed a very good and quick integration process. people left their familiar locations because they were The compulsory German language courses were held Germans. for up to two years after the immigrants’ arrival in Germany. And with the acquisition of German citi- zenship a work permit was granted immediately and The fall of the Soviet Union triggered the automatically. The Russian Germans were, further- immigration towards Germany: At that time, more, heavily supported. Only later, at the end of the about one million German repatriates moved 90ies, this support was much shortened. Despite the course of things, though, German Russians don’t stand out of Eastern Europe and Poland; out in today’s local German society. after 1990 another two million emigrated, most of them from Kazakhstan "We are and have always been Germans" When I ask my German great grandparents why the integration of us German Russians has worked out A few years later, the situation was quite different. In so well, they reply: "Because we are Germans and we the nineties, life was, according to my grandparents, have always been Germans. It was clear for all of us "pure chaos". The Soviet Union was falling apart, piece that this is the last stop. We will stay here. Here we will by piece, and not just politically. For many, those live.” times were the worst in their lives. Prices for basic food such as bread and milk increased tenfold from So, if the next time someone wants to know why I do one day to another, corruption and crime were the or- not look like a Kazakh, I will refer to this text. Maybe der of the day. Whoever had the opportunity to leave, I'll send this article also to the above-mentioned pri- took advantage of it. So it happened with my family. mary school teacher. ■VT

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THE POINT OF NO RETURN? Florin’s motivation to leave his homeland is not quite typical for his peers. Following his family, he left Cluj-Napoca and his biology studies in 2010. In Stuttgart for eight years now, he talks to me about his frsh start and explains the difficulty of returning the politically divided and economically unstable Romania.

TEXT: ARIADNE DIMAKOU

Originating from Transylvania How did this change of plans still working at the same company and fluent in Romanian and happen? today. I believe I finally found Hungarian, was it difficult to what I was looking for. get familiar with the German After graduating from high language? school with the main focus on In Romania, you were studying mathematics and informatics, at the university. In Stuttgart When it comes to learning I had this completely different you did an Ausbildung. Which German, I’d say that I was rather vision of working in a medical of those two ways do you think lucky to grow up in a period whe- laboratory, doing research and provides a better “equipment” re foreign television and media performing blood analyses. This for the later job? got introduced and started to gain led me towards Cluj-Napoca to popularity in Romania. I believe study biology. Over the course That totally depends on what many children growing up in the of the first year, though, I star- works best for the individual, 90’s could relate to me when I say ted noticing that these studies, since both formats have their pros that I partly “owe” my knowledge while fascinating, weren’t really and cons. While higher studies of the English language to TV proceeding in the direction I had provide a more in-depth and tho- channels like Cartoon Network expected or hoped for nor were rough theoretic education which and German to the likes of Super they inspiring me to continue on opens doors to broader options RTL. this path. later on, an Ausbildung prepares you for a specific job in a more This provided a foundation for In the spring of 2010, I decided to “hands-on” way. This gets you in a the years to come, where we had stop my studies before investing workplace environment and to a German as part of our school more time and energy into them, source of income a lot faster. I, for curriculum. “True” skills I acqui- bite the bullet and take a leap of one, chose the path of the Ausbil- red after moving to the country in faith towards Germany. Having dung because I felt like I already late 2010. While attending an in- already had my first contact with found the profession I wanted to tensive language course over a pe- computers as a teenager, I always riod of six months, I got to meet found these machines fascinating and befriend wonderful people, and my curiosity for this field led I CHOSE THE I started working part-time and me back to the path I had already APPRENTICESHIP was more or less “forced” to use started in high school. German almost exclusively. This BECAUSE I FELT constant practicing helped me At the beginning of 2012, I started LIKE I ALREADY gain more confidence and beco- an internship as an IT Adminis- me more fluent. trator at a logistics company in FOUND THE Stuttgart. The internship was PROFESSION I You not only changed your followed by an Ausbildung as a personal environment here in Computer Science Expert with WAS PASSIONATE Stuttgart, you also took another the Subject Area System Integ- career path: From biology to IT. ration for three more years. I am ABOUT

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pursue, with the added bonus of Romania is very divided when it services. You have gathered in being financially independent. comes to having faith in politici- Germany three years of exper- I believe that numerous fresh ans. Do you think those measu- tise plus three years of practical graduates today are afraid of what res are realistic? education during and after your some would call “internship hell” Ausbildung. Has the thought of or the “Generation Praktikum” The motives behind Miss Into- return crossed your mind? phenomena. That is because after tero’s campaign are pretty clear. graduating from university, due Over the past two and a half I’d lie if I would say I closed that to the lack of real-world experi- decades, a large number of Ro- door for good. Maybe a part of ence, many are only offered in- manian citizens fled the country me is still hoping to see the coun- ternship positions for some time. in order to offer a better future try I grew up and spent the majo- In a similar way, after successfully for their families, their children rity of my life in develop towards completing an Ausbildung but and for themselves. Many of something I saw and admired without further training and skill the migrants are still young and in Germany while visiting as a development, it could get pretty energetic, willing to achieve their teenager: a country with advan- difficult to advance on a career goals, ready to change their lives ced technology, an infrastructure path. One may even feel stuck in for the better. And people pos- and public transportation of high the same position without new sessing these positive attributes quality, wages which correspond perspectives. What I believe is are now missing from Romania, to the quality and amount of work that with enough motivation, wil- even though they may be needed invested. And a healthcare system lingness, strength, persistence and to achieve the changes everyone where you don’t have to be afraid maybe a tiny hint of luck, both is hoping to see back home. The of not being able to pay for a pro- paths could lead to the desired initiative is trying to bring these per treatment. outcome. migrants back or, at least, create conditions acceptable enough in I FEEL LIKE Romania’s population aged order to prevent the population 15 to 29 has declined to still residing in the country from MANY YEARS 3,52 million in 2016 - over a fleeing. quarter within the previous HAVE PASSED To be honest, I admire Miss In- decade. totero for starting this campaign, SINCE I LEFT although I'm almost certain that, The emigration wave Romania is without addressing the root cause HOME experiencing for the past ten ye- for the emigration wave, it will ars has hit the country hard. This lead to little success. What makes year, about 4 million Romanians me believe that change might are living abroad and it has been happen is the spark of hope and These advancements" I started predicted that the population willingness among young Roma- to notice when visiting Romania will decline 30% by 2060 (*Sour- nians to fight against corruption I year after year. But the pace of ce: Romanian National Institute noticed the last time I visited the development there is still slow at of Statistics). country this year. Maybe the mass best. And yet, these little things protests which have been covered are the source of hope in Roma- All this also motivated your by the media in conjunction with nia for many, including myself. Diaspora Minister to address the Minister of Diaspora’s vision the Romanian communities can make an impact after all. Nonetheless, I feel like many ye- abroad and to win some of the ars have passed since I left home diaspora back to their home- As you previously mentioned, and in the meantime my life has land. She mentions measures to young Romanians still have the anchored itself in the German enable the people coming back a will and courage to stand up society. That is mostly thanks to flawless re-integration in Roma- against corruption. Some may the workplace I enjoy being a part nian society and labour market. even seek for working possibili- of and to the relationships I have Planned are increases in wage, ties and conditions that will allow built and rebuilt over time. But to pensions and salaries for the them to stay in their homeland. finish with a cliché, when finally medical and education sectors as going into retirement, I could also well as measures for specialized If we focus on your field of work, imagine myself heading back to education to the children of re- Romania’s talent is quite com- the small city I grew up in and turning emigrants.There are also petitive globally. Within Europe, start exploring the beautiful na- initiatives named to encourage your homeland is a fast-gro- ture Romania has to offer. ■AD emigrant entrepreneurship. wing market for outsourced IT

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AfricaWorks The bridge between Europe and Africa

Dr. Jörg Kleis, co-founder of AfricaWorks, is in charge of recruiting new companies and clients to support Africa’s way into the European market. He explains how especially German universities are helping to connect the two continents.

TEXT: JÖRG KLEIS

Up to 30.000 students from African countries are cur- return to their home country – the latter most prefer- rently enrolled at German universities. While some of ably with the same German company. What is more, them are funded by the German Academic Exchange members in the diaspora generally share a strong and Service (DAAD) or foundations and NGOs, more and common interest in more entrepreneurial activities more are coming here as “free movers” who finance from German companies in their home countries and themselves and who set the goal to obtain a Master de- are willing and able to push internal strategies leading gree. Germany has become such an attractive destina- in that direction. tion because more and more universities (of applied sciences) offer their courses in English while tuition This is where the Berlin-based recruiting agency fees remain at an acceptable level in comparison to AfricaWorks ties in. schools in the UK, for example. Hence, it is not sur- prising to see most students come from Morocco and AfricaWorks connects African alumni from German, Egypt in the North, Ghana and Nigeria in the West, Swiss and Austrian universities with Mittelstand Cameroon in Central Africa and especially Kenya companies, thereby killing several birds with one and Ethiopia in the Eastern part of our neighbouring stone. First, as staff members these alumni help ease continent. the problem of lack of skilled employees (Fachkräfte- mangel), especially in Engineering. Second, an African The goals of these soon-to-be graduates are as diverse employee helps to show gateways to Africa and is able as biographies can be, but they interestingly corres- to reduce the reluctance to enter the continent as a pond in one aspect. Many want to gain first work ex- potential market region. Third, hiring someone from perience here, maybe for two to three years, and then outside the EU even raises the chances of driving busi-

60 Communities

ness because the candidates in question are not only equally fit when it comes to education. They bring AfricaWorks is a recruiting along intercultural expertise, language skills, and especially a high level of intrinsic motivation and a and employability strong ability and willingness to learn. In the long- company. The company term, they are ideal bridge-builders who not only brokers highly qualified understand the German mindset but their own local talents and professionals or regional mentality, thereby enabling companies to establish a progressive work-environment and from Africa in the areas push diversity – a strong reason for German talent of business, engineering when it comes to choosing their future employer. and IT. AfricaWorks also consults its clients Above all, besides connecting their candidates with regarding all questions the corporate world, the founders of AfricaWorks Dr. Jörg Kleis, co-founder of AfricaWorks believe the biggest impact to be at the work place evolving around the since getting to know each other and the establis- integration of foreign staff into their organisations. hing of trust between co-workers lower barriers and For more information visit www.africaworks.eu contribute to a new understanding between Europe and Africa – and especially a different view by Ger- mans on their colleague’s home country.

61 After Work Football Minds Map Where German coaching legends started their careers

Mannheim Stuttgart Sepp Herberger Albert Sing *1897 in Mannheim, Waldhof Mann- *1917 in Eislingen/Fils, played for Stuttgarter Kickers. heim, VfR Mannheim. National He was the assistant of Sepp Herberger 1954. With coach from 1949 to 1964 (World the Young Boys Bern he won four consecutive cham- Cup win in Bern 1954) Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis pionships. He also coached Lugano, Grashoppers Zürich, Lugano, Luzern and VfB Stuttgart. Gernot Rohr Silvia Neid *1953 in Mannheim, Vfl Neckarau, *1964 in Walldürn, played for Jürgen Klinsmann Bayern München, won the league Klinge Seckach, SSG Bergisch *1964 in Göppingen, played for TB Gingen, SC Geislin- with Girondons Bordeaux, coached Gladbach, TSV Siegen, and gen, Stuttgarter Kickers, VfB Stuttgart, Inter Mailand, Zidane and Lizarazu there the German NT (1982-1996). AS Monaco, Tottenham, FC Bayern, and Sampdoria She coached the German Genua. Coached German NT 2004-2006, FC Bayern Klaus Schlappner Women's National Team from 2008-2009, and the USA NT 2011-2016 *1940 in Lampertheim. Coached SV 2005 to 2016. Waldhof Mannheim, China NT, and Guido Buchwald Iran NT *1961 in Berlin, played for Wannweil, Stuttgarter Ki- ckers, VfB Stuttgart, Urawa, KSC. Coached Urawa Uli Stielike and Aachen. Sporting director for Karlsruher SC *1954 in Ketsch, played for Mön- chengladbach and Real Madrid, Ralf Rangnick Europa Cup Winner 1980. Coach of *1958 in Backnang, coached SSV Reutlin- Waldhof, Xamax Neuchatel, Swit- gen, SSV Ulm, VfB Stuttgart, Hanno- zerland NT, DFB U20, Ivory Coast ver 96, Schalke 04, and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Currently coaching Hoffenheim RB Leipzig (2018-?) Julian Nagelsmann Jürgen Klopp *1987 in Landsberg am Lech, played *1967 in Stuttgart, played for second team FC Augsburg and for 1.FC Pforzheim, Eintracht second team 1860 München. Current Frankfurt ||, Viktoria Sindel- coach at TSV 1899 Hoffenheim (2016-?) fingen, Rot-Weiss Frank- furt, and Mainz 05. Coach Karlsruhe of Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund. Current cióach of Winnie Schäfer Liverpool FC (2015-?) *1950 in Mayen, played for Borussia Mönchengladbach, Tayfun Korkut coached KSC from 1986 to *1974 in Stuttgart, played 1998, VfB Stuttgart, Africa for Stuttgarter Kickers, Cup Winner 2002 with Fenerbahce Istanbul, Real Cameroon Sociedad, and the Turkish NT. Assistant coach of Tur- Freiburg key NT, coach of Hannover 96, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Volker Finke Bayer Leverkusen, and VfB *1948 in Nienburg/ Stuttgart (2018) Weser, player and coach at TSV Havelse, Ulm coach of SC Freiburg from 1991-2006 Dieter Hoeneß *1953 in Ulm, played for TSG Christian Streich Ulm, VfB Stuttgart, FC Bayern. *1965 in Weil am Managed VfB Stuttgart (1990- Rhein, played for FC 1995), Hertha BSC Berlin, and Vfl Freiburg, FC 08 Hom- Wolfsburg burg and Stuttgarter Kickers. Current coach Schönau Esslingen Uli Hoeneß *1954 in Ulm, played for TSG Ulm, of FC Freiburg (2011-?) Joachim Löw Domenico Tedesco FC Bayern München. Managing *1960 in Schönau/Schwarz- *1985 in Rossano, Italy, FC Bayern München since 1979 Lörrach wald, played for SC Freiburg, coached the youth de- VfB Stuttgart, Frankfurt, partment of VfB Stuttgart Thomas Tuchel Ottmar Hitzfeld Schaffhausen, and Wintert- and TSG 1899 Hoffen- *1973 in Krumbach, played *1949 in Lörrach, played for FC Ba- hur. Coached Frauenfeld, heim. Coached Erzgebir- for Krumbach, FC Augsburg, sel, VfB Stuttgart, Lugano, Luzern. VfB Stuttgart, Adanaspor, ge Aue. Current coach of Stuttgarter Kickers and SSV Ulm. Coached Zug, Aaarau, Grashoppers Innsbruck, and Austria Wien. Schalke 04 (2017-?) Coach of Mainz 05 and Borussia Zürich, Borussia Dortmund, FC Current coach of the German Dortmund. Current coach at Paris Bayern, and Swiss NT NT (2006-?) Saint-Germaine (2018-?)

62 After Work

FOOTBALL ENGINEERING FOR THE WORLD Massive football expertise - exported straight out of Baden-Württemberg

TEXT: HANS GÄNG | EDIT: LUCA WODTKE

ccurately observing global trends, motiva- Kohler, the brothers Bernd and Karl-Heinz Förster. ting people for something new, integrating All stubborn, tactically disciplined and of high intel- Ainternational talents - football coaches from ligence in a direct duel - longtime horror of the Gary Baden-Württemberg face the same challenges as Lineker’s of the world. companies in the German federal state. Trainers from here were and are internationally oriented, innovative Mannheim coaches used this player material and engineers of the sport. found recognition abroad. Gernot Rohr was a successful player in Bordeaux. As a coach, he developed Football apprenticeship "made in Baden-Württem- the young Bixente Lizarazu and Zinedine Zidane to a berg" begins in Mannheim. The industrial city was world-class duo. Klaus "Schlappi" Schlappner, coach of the first home of the sport. From the workers suburb Waldhof Mannheim, helped build Chinese football as Waldhof comes Germany's first world champion national coach and consultant in 1992 and helped set coach: the legendary Sepp Herberger. His assistant up a professional league in Iran. coach Albert Sing comes from the industrial city of Eislingen in Württemberg. After his great playing career at Borussia Mönchen- gladbach and Real Madrid, Uli Stielike became first In and around Mannheim, the granite guard of coach at Waldhof and was coach of the Swiss national German defense football grew up: Uli Stielike, Jürgen team. Later, Stielike trained the Ivory Coast - and

63 After Work

from 2014 to 2018, as the coach of South Korea, he Förster brothers with despair. Without the order- thoroughly prepared the knockout of the German ly, quiet world champion Guido "Diego" Buchwald, "Mannschaft" at the World Cup in Russia. Stuttgart would hardly have won the championship in 1992. As a coach Buchwald taught the Urawa Red This ended a glorious epoch of forward football, Diamonds in distant Japan how to play smart, defensi- which the Stuttgart bakery boy Klinsmann, with his ve football. California spirit, brought to the German national team at the 2006 World Cup. The Baden-Württemberger’s Almost forgotten, the everlasting Stuttgart dream of a were extremely proud of him and his co-trainer, the flying striker football was finally nurtured when club South Badener Joachim coach Joachim Löw formed “Jogi” Löw. the "magic triangle" of VfB: VfB has gone Giovane Elber, Fredi Bobic through more Two things have al- and Krasimir Balakov. Later, coaches than ways characterized after many coaching changes, any other Baden-Württemberg’s the city dreamed that the "wild Bundesliga team football. First, the sharp youngsters" who had broken regional rivalry of the Manchester United could solidify a permanent top Baden clubs from Mann- spot in the Bundesliga. Soon after the championship heim, Freiburg, Karlsruhe in 2007, however, descent and resurgence followed. and Hoffenheim with the Swabian club of the state As the last in a phalanx of coaches, Stuttgart born capital, VfB Stuttgart. Turk Tayfun Korkut tried to fix VfB Stuttgart’s main And second: VfB's eternal problem: the defence. The former national player and unfulfilled dream of Turkey started his international playing career in of a successful forward Ruit and for Stuttgarter Kickers. He also worked as an football. assistant coach for the Turkish national team. But like Joachim Löw, head coach of the Germany national team always, he had to go because he wasn’t delivering the Karlsruher SC glad- dream of forward football. ly supplied Bayern with its best talents over the A8 motorway - past Stuttgart. Coach Winfried Schäfer West of the Black Forest, a coach has shown that suc- from Ettlingen discovered the wild Oliver Kahn and cess has something to do with modesty and continui- Mehmet Scholl. Later, Schäfer became Cameroon’s ty. While VfB Stuttgart has destroyed 27 coaches since national coach in 2002 and won the African champi- 1991, only four coaches sat on SC Freiburg’s bench in onship. He was active as a club coach in the Emirates, the same timespan. One of these four was Volker Fin- and then coached the national teams of Thailand and ke. Over 15 years, from what was financially possible Jamaica with the small SC Freiburg, Volker Finke brought out the maximum. His trademarks: an earring, well-or- The perhaps best VfB team was founded in 1984 on a ganized individualism as strategy and demonstrative strong defence. The opponents faced young players serenity. Guido Buchwald, Günther Schäfer and the Mannheim His successor Christian Streich is literally a local hero: with his strong Alemannic dialect and his passion, he embodies the regional spirit of inde- pendence - even off the pitch Streich is a self-conscious citizen.

In the west, on the highway between Stuttgart and Mannheim, only some years ago a small football miracle happened: the rise of TSG 1899 Hof- fenheim to a top club in the Bundes- liga. SAP co-founder Dietmar Hopp, himself once a player, programmed the club for success with two things: investing in a Europe-wide respected youth work and a coach called Ralf Rangnick.

Ralf Rangnick

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Pep here, Guardiola there: Rangnick can be considered one of the inven- tors of modern European system football. The "Professor" from Back- nang has always had a fondness for sophisticated chalkboard drawings. With the SSV Ulm he achieved the promotion from third to first division. With Hoffenheim, RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig, Rangnick also realized successful football experiments: creating top clubs out of nothing.

By the way, a very docile student already crossed Rangnick's path in Ulm: Thomas Tuchel - now PSG coach - made a brilliant transition as a player in Rangnick's system in the Ulm defence. Afterwards, Tu- chel coached several youth teams of VfB Stuttgart who won the German championship. He then became a SC Freiburg playing VFB Stuttgart in 2017

coaching star via the stations Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund.

Jürgen Klopp is another international top coach from Baden-Württemberg. The balance of hot passion and icy tactics made him his global brand. The first few years, Klopp, born in Stuttgart, played in small village clubs in the Black Forest.

Two young stars join Klopp, Rang- nick and Tuchel: Julian Nagelsmann and Domenico Tedesco. At just 25, Nagelsmann started his successful coaching career in Hoffenheim. Soon he was wooed by the top clubs across Europe. He has decided to join Ralf Rangnick in Leipzig, where he wants to implement their well thought-through plans next season.

And the traditional club Schalke is coached by Domenico Tedesco, a Swabian Italian. The son of Calabrian migrants grew up in Esslingen and also holds a Masters in Innovation Management.

The Champions League 2018/19 is exciting, because now there are five football engineers with a background in Baden-Württemberg playing against each other. Whose blueprint is the best for success? ■LW|HG

Domenico Tedesco

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SC FREIBURG: CONNECTING YOUNG FOOTBALL TALENTS TO SOCIETY

It’s time for companies to find inspiration outside of their offices and we know just the place to look - on the football pitch! Nowhere else do this many national and international individuals meet each other. The south Baden-Württemberg Bundesliga team SC Freiburg is a glowing example of how to secure a successful integration of talents from abroad.

TEXT: LUCA WODTKE

SC Freiburg is the leading Bundes- professional football team. This was players, and has been with liga club in terms of how long they when the then-12-year-old first ap- the SC Freiburg football let their own youth play in profes- peared on SC Freiburg’s radar. On his academy since its foun- sional matches. In the first half of way to the Bundesliga-team, Sallai ding in 2001. She is part the 2017/2018 season, Freiburg let played for European teams such as of a team of 40 people, their youth play 4938 minutes in the US Palermo and APOEL Nikosia, only ranging from professionals league - more than any other of the to name a few. to part-time teachers that 18 Bundesliga teams. This shows that coach youth teams in their Freiburg has understood that “lear- An only 21-year-old Hungarian sco- spare time. ning-by-doing” is essential for young, ring goals for a south German foot- dedicated and loyal individuals who ball team - that’s internationalism Nerling: “I started working aim to aid their employer. Always having been a club that is for the professional team more than known for being humble, accepting 20 years ago and was working as a Even though not directly out of and modest, it did not come as a freelance teacher for German as a Freiburg’s youth academy, youngs- surprise that coach Christian Streich foreign language. We quickly saw that ter Roland Sallai played a big part in expressed his opinion on the current integration is not only done through securing the teams first win of the refugee and migrant flow coming into language lessons. To properly help 2018/2019 season. The 21-year-old Germany. At a press conference in integrating, I was firmly established, Hungarian striker scored his first goal September, Streich said that he ex- first part-time for his team in his first game, paving pects an active stand against racism THE as a German the road to Freiburg’s 3:1 defeat over and discrimination by the professional teacher and Vfl Wolfsburg. Bundesliga clubs. A human is a hu- MOTIVATION a kind of man, no matter where he is from. TO LEARN integration But how did this talent reach a club monitor.” in southern Baden-Württemberg? In Following this very positive state of GERMAN IS 2009, Sallai joined Videoton FC Sze- mind towards integration and accep- Given that the kesfehervar, a Hungarian first division tance, it is interesting to look behind THERE players live the scenes and understand and interact how a club like SC Freiburg in a German welcomes players and what is environment on day-to-day basis, done to make them feel com- the players" learn the language quite fortable in the country where quickly. Stefanie Nerling says that they are playing. there is no more than 2-3 hours time a week to teach German at home. “The This is where educational di- integration into everyday life, training, rector of SC Freiburg’s football and regeneration takes away most of academy Stefanie Nerling the time. But by doing a lot with vi- comes in. She works to allow deos, pictures and so on, it is easy to for a smooth integration into understand what the coach expects the club and German life for even without fluent German.”

FC Freiburg's coach Christian Streich

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Roland Sallai

An important motivating factor is the important to give the player courage Black Forest. As for Roland Sallai, he’s interest of the players’ families to and be interested in him, but that she always been very independent since learn the language. Especially wives could never involve herself in the a very young age. He was at boarding are enthusiastic, often more than their decisions of the football club - these school, changed clubs so frequently, husbands. “We often teach the cou- decisions are to be explained by and he is attractive for other teams. ples together. Most wives, depending the coach only. As for teaching, “it’s Yet, he is still very sensible. He does on where they come from, don’t have important to not purposely ignore not convey the feeling that he is a work permit when they arrive in football when teaching the players, doing us a favour in having joined Germany, so they have the time and but the recent game does not have Freiburg, a club in the south of Ger- the urge to learn and do something. to be the main topic of every lesson. many. But everyone is different, and For example, Roland Sallai's wife has I don’t change the subject to the you have to expect and be prepared just bought notebooks and folders to weather, but I just look for non-game for that.” improve their learning experience.” related topics, for example, the EM When a player is injured and de- application of Germany.” When we spoke to Stefanie Nerling, motivated, Stefanie Nerling says it’s she was just preparing one of her In terms of how to German lessons, “This morning I'm in approach young the football academy, but I'm current- people who have ly preparing some content for Roland already experi- Sallai. I’m seeing him this afternoon enced so much, for a lesson.” Stefanie Nerling tell us to remem- In their down-to-earth style, SC ber that “football Freiburg have managed to combine is a sport that has athletic success and education to an insane social make a smooth integration possible range. Some have for their players. The show that they already experien- have understood that no matter the ced a lot, some athletic success, integration is key to come from the feeling welcome. ■LW Stefanie Nerling with a colleague

67 After Work

CHRISTMAS MARKETS Where to experience the "most wonderful time of the year”

68 After Work

CHRISTMAS

MARKETS ermany is famous for its traditional Christmas sweets behind it, and every morning, the children markets. Almost every medium-sized town has open one window to receive their daily treat. Howe- Gone, and some are open the whole of Decem- ver, this calendar is not only popular among children: ber, a time period called “Advent”. In this period, many adults keep this tradition even after they have Christians await the birth of Jesus Christ. Children grown out of their child shoes. count down the days until the 24th of December with an “Adventskalender”, a calendar with 24 little But back to the Christmas markets: the origins of the windows. Each window hides either chocolate or other Christmas markets, also referred to as “Christkindl-

69 Photo: Tourismus Marketing GmbH Baden-Württemberg GmbH Marketing Tourismus Photo: After Work

märkte”, can be found in the Late Middle Ages, where local craftsmen sold their products, some especially designed for the Christmas season. Today you can still find traditional local products such as crib figu- rines, handmade candles or fabrics made out of sheep’s wool. Of course you can find many other things to put underneath the Christmas tree for your beloved ones. While strolling through the cold lanes of the markets you will be overwhelmed by all the impressions, the magic atmosphere, the smells and noises. You will definitely stop at a food stand or - more likely, if you consider the cold - at a Glühweinhütte where you can warm up your frozen hands. The German Glühwein is a traditional hot drink originally prepared with red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, Photo: Tourismus & Events Ludwigsburg & Events Tourismus Photo:

star aniseed, citrus and sugar. To meet everyone’s flavour, nowadays there are numerous variations such as Glühwein made with white wine or apple juice. But be careful! Even though you won’t taste all the alcohol in it, there is some in it! So, for your children, definitely order a “Kinderpunsch”, which is without any alcohol.

Following the rule of not drinking on an empty stomach, each Christmas Market has several stands offering food. Tradi- tional meals or snacks are the famous

Bratwurst (sausage that is served either GmbH Tourismus & Stadtmarketing Esslinger Photo:

with a roll or with french fries), hot chestnuts, “chocolate fruits” (different fruits dipped in chocolate), roasted almonds, waffles or crepes… The list of deli- cacies is endless!

Depending on the type of Christmas market you visit, there will be special snacks. For instance, the Christmas market in Esslingen is a medieval market, where not only the food tastes like in former times, but also the stands and products are adapted, and the vendors are dressed up as knights, maids

Photo: Tourismus Marketing GmbH Baden-Württemberg GmbH Marketing Tourismus Photo: or jugglers.

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Esslingen Mittelaltermarkt and Weihnachtsmarkt Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt 28.11.2018 - 22.12. 2018 29.11.2018 - 23.12. 2018 Open daily from 11:00 - 20:30 Monday - Saturday from 10:00 – 21:00 Uhr Sunday from 11 – 21 Uhr Ludwigsburg Weihnachtsmarkt 23.11.2018 - 22.12. 2018 Weihnachtsmarkt am See in Constance Open daily from 11:00 - 21:00 29.11.2018 - 22.12. 2018 Open daily from 11.00 - 22.00 Ulmer Weihnachtsmarkt Friday and Saturday from 11:00 - 21:30 26.11.2018 - 22.12. 2018 Open daily from 10:00 - 20.30 Königlicher Weihnachtsmarkt on the Burg Hohenzollern, Hechingen Tübinger Weihnachtsmarkt 30.11.2018 - 02.12.2018 and 07.12.2018 - 09.12.2018 15.12.2018 - 17.12.2018 Fridays from 14:00 - 20:00 Friday and Saturday: 10:00 - 21:00 Saturdays from 11:00 - 20:00 Sunday: 11:00-19:00 Sundays from 11:00 - 19:00 Entry: max. €10 (free entry for children under 16) Schokoladenfestival chocolART in Tübingen 04.12.2018 - 09.12. 2018 Freiburger Weihnachtsmarkt Tuesday from 13:00 - 20:00 22.11.2018 - 23.12. 2018 Wednesday - Friday from 10:00 - 20:00 Monday - Saturday from 10:00 - 20:30 Saturday from 10:00 - 22:00 Sunday from 11:30 - 19:30 Sunday from 11:00 - 18:00 Photos: Tourismus & Events Ludwigsburg, Esslinger Stadtmarketing & Tourismus GmbH, Cornelius Bierer GmbH, Tourismus & Stadtmarketing Esslinger Ludwigsburg, & Events Tourismus Photos:

Visit https://www.tourismus-bw.de/Kultur/Weihnachtsmaerkte-in-Baden-Wuerttemberg/ for more information on christmas markets in the region!

If you are more attracted to sweets, try the “chocolART” market in Tübingen which is a whole festival about chocolate. Participate in chocolate tastings, meet chocolatiers from all over the world, learn how to create pralines or just enjoy the warm atmosphere!

Another thematic market is the Baroque Christmas market in Photo: chocolARTde Photo: Ludwigsburg. You can perfectly connect your visit of the Christ- mas market to a sightseeing tour through the city and admire the amazing baroque buildings and churches.

If you don’t live near these cities, just check out the Christmas markets in your area. All of them invite to enjoy the pre-Christ- mas season, taste hearty meals or Christmas sweets, listen to yule- tide carols and get to know this charming heartwarming German

tradition! Thomas Photo: Niedermueller

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EDITOR'S PICK OUR TOP 6 SWABIAN DISHES You are new to Baden-Württemberg and don't quite know where to start your culinary journey of local foods? No worries - we've got you covered with our picks for the best Swabian dishes and snacks.

Spätzle They can accompany a meal, or be the meal themselves such as in “Käse- 1 spätzle”. The perfect allrounder!

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Maultaschen Also known as “Herrgottsbescheißerle”, Maultaschen were traditionally used to hide meat. Today you can have them during 2 broad daylight without hiding.

Zwiebelrostbraten This dish might not exactly roll off your tongue, but it will melt in your mouth! A good piece of beef with onions - mmm- 3 hh!

Flädlesuppe The word Flädle refers to the thin crepe-like pancakes. You won’t find a soup filled with pancake bits 4 anywhere else!

Kartoffelsalat There are so many different ways to make potato salad, but it tastes best in Baden-Württemberg. But the locals say 6 nothing; they just keep on making it. Linsen & Spätzle This dish has something for everyone on one plate - meat, carbohydrates, and veggies. Might not be the most appealing 5 meal, but the most Swabian. Honorable mention: Brezel The most cliché German bakery good, but definitely deserving of the title. The Brezel is a good idea always; breakfast? Brezel. Lunch? Brezel. Dinner? Butterbrezel. 73 FOLLOWAfter Work US

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edubiz @ Hannover Messe NEW RESOURCES, NEW PERSPECTIVES

edubiz - the place to discuss global HR strategies and to find partners 1 - 5 APRIL 2019 and talents for international projects. Deutsche Messe - Messegelände - The meeting point for globally active companies, the education sector and Hannover talents.

- Symposium: Global HR and education strategies, European challenges, Best TALENTS & Practice. - Matchmaking: Meet new partners for R&D, corporate education projects.

- Recruiting: Meet the international CAPACITIES communities of students and young professionals.

- On-site-visits: See corporate flagship WORLDWIDE projects in Stuttgart region.

75 bw-jobsBADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG. WHERE IDEAS WORK. .de

Carl Benz, 1886 AndreasStihl, 1929

Ulrich Hütter, 1950 Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, 1900

Karl von Drais, 1817 Picture credits: Annika Gandelheid, Archivist, BillionPhotos.com, Fabian, Floortje, Kreatiw, Proydakov, pzAxe Proydakov, Floortje, Kreatiw, BillionPhotos.com, Fabian, Archivist, Annika Gandelheid, credits: Picture Baden-Württemberg: A place for ideas. Your chance to work.

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