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Active membership of Initiativkreis Ruhrgebiet

On account of our traditional links with the regions in which ThyssenKrupp has operated for many years we mainly support initiatives and projects based in these locations. For instance, for many years we have been providing moral and financial support for the Initiativkreis Ruhrgebiet, a body which is dedicated to promoting the interests of the Ruhr and provides important impetus for the now well-advanced structural transformation of this traditional industrial region. Each year we sponsor a stand-out concert event as part of the Ruhr Piano Festival created by Initiativkreis Ruhrgebiet.

Links with the Group's locations in culture and sport

Art and culture are traditional areas of support. As the corresponding projects and institutions are frequently based near to our major locations, this also benefits the employees of the Group. For example we support the philharmonic orchestras in Essen and Duisburg, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein opera company and the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus theater. We also provided major funding for the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche church in Dresden.

We also promote sport, mainly in the form of regional sports clubs and competitions. For example, for many years we have been supporting the annual Rhine-Ruhr marathon and the international rowing regatta in Duisburg.

Education to secure the future

In the area of education ThyssenKrupp finances individual university chairs and is active in numerous support organizations. One prominent example is the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, aimed at putting Germany among the leaders in academic achievement. In addition, ThyssenKrupp is a longstanding member of Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, a funding association via which we provide targeted sponsorship for academic projects. Under partnership agreements with various universities, we fund study support programs and provide internships and dissertation placements.

Help in emergencies

In recent years our support for social, charitable and humanitarian activities has focused on aid, e.g. for natural disasters. The flood victim relief program in the aftermath of the 2002 floods in eastern Germany is one example. Another is our support for the youth exchange program between Germany and the USA after the September 11 attacks.

In connection with the 2002 flood victim campaign, numerous employees of our Group made personal donations on top of the donation made by the Company.

In the reporting period, employees of Thyssen­Krupp Presta donated the bonus they received for a ThyssenKrupp best project to two programs for the needy in South America. The Executive Board of Thyssen­Krupp AG doubled this donation and a significant sum was raised.

Networking and knowledge sharing

In an increasingly networked world it is increasingly important to support projects that act as catalysts in the dialogue between government, business and science. The Group supports opinion forums, conferences and other discussion platforms which promote the exchange of views on business and technical issues and contribute to intercultural understanding.

In addition we provide strong support for Acatech, the council for engineering sciences run by the Union of German Academies of Science and Humanities. Acatech aims to promote dialogue on forward-looking technologies and their significance for sustainable growth and intensify exchanges between science, business, government and society.

Initiative of the year: Discovering Future Technology

Germany's competitiveness depends to a crucial degree on its ability to innovate. This has not always been adequately recognized in recent times. Instead there has been increasing skepticism towards new technologies. The consequences are profound: the loss of important technological leadership positions in the global market and a dramatic shortage of young scientists/engineers are threatening Germany's future as a center of technology. To counter this trend, government, science and business launched a number of activities in 2004, such as the "innovation offensive" and the "year of technology". ThyssenKrupp also decided to expand its commitment to education, networking and knowledge sharing. In May 2004 we created an initiative of our own called "Discovering Future Technology". Our aim is to contribute to a fundamental change of attitude in our society and promote a technology-friendly climate that sees innovations as an opportunity and not as a threat. We also want to encourage young people to take up technical training or studies. Finally, the goal of the initiative is to bring together the major forces in business, science, government and the media to provide impetus for wider activities.

The initiative was launched in mid-May with a new phase of our image campaign. In TV commercials and print ads, complex technical themes were communicated to a broad public in an imaginative and appealing way. The new motifs again feature children of ThyssenKrupp employees explaining the benefits of high technology in their own way. In addition, more than 30 advertorial supplements were placed in the main German dailies and weeklies highlighting the importance of innovation for our country. Produced in association with editorial staff, the supplements focused on various aspects such as economics, education, the capital market, innovations, individual sectors and the global economy. Many renowned partners of ThyssenKrupp from the technical/scientific field contributed guest articles. This joint action was unprecedented in the German media landscape and met with a tremendous response.

The highpoint of the initiative was a free "Ideas Park" held at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen from September 2-4, 2004. The idea was to turn the themes of the media initiative into a living experience. To awaken fascination for technology, it has to be made tangible. We therefore developed an exhibition concept which was just as innovative as the materials and technologies on display. The Ideas Park was staged in a camp outside the arena covering an area the size of three soccer pitches. Viewing the many exciting exhibits – from the Ariane rocket engine to the Transrapid – visitors were able to experience how innovations come about and meet the people behind the ideas – scientists, engineers and users. There were numerous participation activities for younger visitors. More than 60,000 people accepted our invitation to become explorers in the world of technology. The most prominent guests were German President Horst Köhler and the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Peer Steinbrück. Over 500 staff from ThyssenKrupp and our partners in the initiative worked hard over the three days, answering questions from young and old, explaining the technologies and providing an authentic insight into the world of innovations.

Another highlight was the supporting program, offering guests a total of 48 hours of information and entertainment on two stages. It covered all the themes of our initiative in the form of high-level discussion panels, interesting presentations as well as practical tips on training and study opportunities. The technology shows created especially for the Ideas Park featuring well-known moderators such as Günther Jauch and Ranga Yogeshwar were a central attraction. Overall, more than 50 partner organizations participated in the event, including the universities of Aachen, Berlin, Bochum, Dortmund, Dresden and Hamburg-Harburg, the Fraunhofer Society and the "Jugend forscht" foundation. The TV network ZDF presented a number of live broadcasts from the event including the children's quiz show "1, 2 oder 3".

A survey of visitors conducted by TNS Emnid underlined the resounding success of the innovative exhibition concept. 94% of visitors said their visit had been worthwhile and three out of four guests said that the Ideas Park had had a positive effect on their attitude to technology. 94% said that it had enhanced the reputation of ThyssenKrupp. This proves that we succeeded in getting the message across – technology is exciting, technology is fun, technology is our future.