Tognum sponsors students

• Cooperative Baden-Württemberg - Ravensburg College Team designs its own racing car

Friedrichshafen, 29 April 2009. Tognum, the specialist for propulsion and power solutions is again the main sponsor for the BA Racing Team representing the Cooperative College in Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg. The team is made up of 50 students from a variety of faculties who are collaborating to design and construct their own racing car. During the “Formula Student“ design competition, they will put their model to the test, first in Silverstone (UK) in July, and in Hockenheim (Germany) one month later, competing with other college and university teams from around the globe. Volker Heuer, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Tognum AG comments: “By supporting this project, we continue and highlight our commitment to the support and professional development of young people in the region, whilst continuing to invest in promising up-and-coming professional talents even in times of dire economic straits.“

The construction of the BART 09 racing car is now completed. Now is the time to design and construct the last few individual parts required to complete the object. The students intend to present the racing car to the public at the end of May. “There’s a lot of work left for us until then. Although we’re studying full-time, we are committing up to 30 hours per week to this project. But then, in turn, we gain significant experience in the fields of team and project work, as well as cost management“, explains Mathias Müller, one of the two students spending their practical semester with Tognum subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen. “We want to provide optimal professional qualification opportunities for our students. However, to do so, we need to rely on the support kindly offered by commerce and industry. We found a powerful partner in Tognum, supporting us - not only financially - but also providing us with a lot of background information with regard to the practical application of our theories“, highlights professor Thomas Nickel, team leader of the BA Racing Team.

As opposed to many other motoring competitions, the “Formula Student“ does not crown the fastest team, but rather puts a premium on the overall picture, made up of the design, racing performance, financial planning and sales points. And precisely this highly varied set of requirements placed on the students is what makes them so appealing for companies after completion of their studies.