SEW-EURODRIVE Foundation honors 21 young talents

In an uplifting ceremony on May 11, 2023, the SEW-EURODRIVE Foundation awarded the 2022 Student Award, which is worth 2500 euros, to 21 young academics for their outstanding Diploma and Master’s theses.

As every year at the beginning of May, looking back over the previous year, the SEW-EURODRIVE Foundation presented the Student Awards for outstanding Diploma and Master’s theses. The ceremony was held in the new SEW-EURODRIVE Customer Center in Graben-Neudorf, together with an exciting supporting program.

Following a greeting from host Jürgen Blickle, Managing Partner and CEO of SEW-EURODRIVE and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, Prof. Fritz Klocke, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, welcomed the guests.

Afterwards, COO Dr. Jörg Hermes presented SEW-EURODRIVE to the invited guests. In atmospheric images and videos, he reviewed the development of the company since it was founded in 1931 and explained how a vision by Ernst Blickle “shaped the DNA of SEW-EURODRIVE today” and became a reality: The modular system originally conceived for gearmotors still runs through the entire SEW-EURODRIVE portfolio. In more than 90 years, SEW-EURODRIVE has grown to become an international technology leader in drive and automation technology and is represented in 54 countries with its own locations. With the architecture of its buildings and its modern production halls, SEW-EURODRIVE is running against the popular “top and flop” saying: “Top on the outside, but also top on the inside”!

Autonomous assistance systems make a good impression

Johann Soder, Managing Director of Special Topics, spoke before the next item on the agenda: a guided tour of the South Hall. He explained that the already mentioned modular system approach was being upheld and continued in the company’s modular factory design: In the modern factory halls, the entire production is divided into so-called Smart Factory Units – production modules that are connected by agile assistance systems. With his motto “The future is made out of courage, curiosity, and passion”, he created a clear link to the present event and at the same time paid tribute to the award winners, who have already heralded this future with their top-rated work.

In the South Hall, this future became tangible for everyone. Several of the award winners, who were each allowed to bring an accompanying person, have never been in the middle of production at such a large company. And certainly not in such a modern factory, where you do not have to watch out for forklifts, but for autonomous assistance systems that stop on their own, wait patiently until the visitors step aside, then slowly continue to drive, and only resume their regular speed at a safe distance.