Audi Promotes Young Engineers at Hanover Fair

Audi is making a strong showing at Hanover Fair, which opened today. Michael Dick and Dr. Werner Widuckel, members of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, are underscoring the company’s commitment to promoting young engineers through their involvement in two events of the Association of German Engineers (VDI). Audi plans to hire 800 new employees this year, of which around two thirds will be engineers.

The VDI traditionally awards the prize for innovative material applications at the technology fair. Michael Dick, patron of the award and Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, will present the prize as part of the “Night of Innovations” this evening at 6.30 p.m. at the VDI stand (hall 2, D36).

The prize was initiated in 1991 to foster developments in material applications in Germany. It recognizes outstanding innovations across an entire range of pioneering material applications developed in cooperations between various fields of specialization.

“The application of knowledge about materials continually presents new challenges to engineers in the fields of development, construction, production and quality assurance. The VDI award acknowledges outstanding innovations that use customized materials technology to implement product requirements in exemplary fashion,” explains Dick.

The podium discussion “The next VDI generation – are we the answer to the future?” on April 22 at 1.00 p.m. will be another highlight at the VDI stand. Dr. Werner Widuckel, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Human Resources, will participate in an expert roundtable to discuss strategies for resolving the issue of Germany’s engineer shortage.

“We want to enter into dialogue today with the engineers of tomorrow, get young people excited about technology and innovative products, inspire them to have new ideas and foster their application. That’s why we are also a key partner in the VDI initiative, “Sachen machen,” says Widuckel. Established in 2006, the goal of the initiative is to maintain Germany’s status as a site of technology, support the next generation of German engineers, provide employees with opportunities for development and strengthen the pulse of innovation.

The Job & Career Market at Hanover Fair constitutes a major communications platform for Audi. Young engineers and engineering professionals can get information about employment opportunities at AUDI AG from April 21 – 25, 2008 (hall 26, stand 12).

AUDI AG sold a total of 964,151 cars in 2007 and thus achieved its twelfth consecutive record year. With revenue of €33,617 million and profit before tax of €2,915 million, the company attained its best figures ever. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). At the end of 2007, production of the Audi A6 started in Aurangabad, India. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Hoolding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi employs about 54,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than € 2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015, from the 26 currently on offer to 40.