ThyssenKrupp AG and the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany today agreed to work together closely in the fields of engineering and economics. The aim of the agreement is to support high-caliber students and promote further education and teaching, international cooperation, and the exchange of scientific findings. To this end Dr. Ulrich Middelmann, Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp AG, and Professor Dr. Dietmar Petzina, Vice Chancellor of the Ruhr University, signed a cooperation agreement in Bochum today.

A photo of the signing of the agreement is available for downloading at http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pressemitteilungen/

Support will be targeted in particular at high-caliber students of mechanical engineering and economics. As part of its study support program, ThyssenKrupp is making available three grants for suitable students at the Ruhr University. The students selected will receive monthly financial support during their studies and take part in seminars and a mentoring program. In addition, the Group is offering an annual ThyssenKrupp Award for best performance in the intermediate examinations in mechanical engineering and economics. The prize is an attractive foreign placement at a ThyssenKrupp company. In addition, talented students can gain work experience and complete projects and dissertations at ThyssenKrupp.

Special support will also be given for innovative achievements. For example, in the field of materials sciences an annual ThyssenKrupp Materials Innovation Prize will be awarded for particularly innovative projects, theses, dissertations or publications. Once or twice a year prizes of up to 2,500 euros will be awarded in this field. The aim of the prize is to attract students to materials sciences at the Ruhr University as this, like other fields of engineering, is a research area of great importance to a technology group like ThyssenKrupp.

The cooperation will also extend to the exchange of knowledge on scientific matters, with attention focusing on application-oriented topics and current research and development projects. The aim is to identify topics of mutual interest, exchange information on these and define joint projects.

ThyssenKrupp and the Ruhr University in Bochum hope in this way to combine the expertise of the university and the enterprise. It is envisaged that ThyssenKrupp executives will give lectures and at the same time suitable further education courses will be made available for members of the university and the company.

Overall the partners intend to intensify the exchange of knowledge and experience. To strengthen the collaboration in the interest of both partners and to coordinate the reciprocal exchange of know-how, ThyssenKrupp and the Ruhr University, Bochum have set up a joint cooperation committee. The committee defines the key areas of cooperation each year. The agreement signed today will run initially for two years and be extended automatically by one year each year thereafter. The patron of the cooperative venture for ThyssenKrupp is the Vice Chairman of the Executive Board Dr. Ulrich Middelmann.

Contacts:

Professor Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Wagner
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Junior Scientists at the Ruhr University Bochum, IB 1/126
Telephone ++49 (0) 234/32-26722
Fax: ++49 (0) 234/32-14161
E-mail: sekr@Imf.ruhr-uni-bochum.de

Kerstin Ney
Head of Management Development
Corporate Senior Executives
ThyssenKrupp AG
Telephone: ++49 (0) 211/824-38272
Fax: ++49 (0) 211/824-38264, E-Mail: ney@tk.thyssenkrupp.com