ZF Race Camp
ZF Makes Race Cars
Fit For The Season
Heavy traffic at the ZF Race Camp: 300 students visited Friedrichshafen's trade fair grounds from June 30 to July 2, 2011. They made use of ZF's offer to test their vehicles for the race series "Formula Student".
Successful Prelude
Eleven racing teams with 15 vehicles from Germany and Austria participated in this ZF event in Friedrichshafen that took place for the fourth time this year. While seven race cars on the circuit were equipped with conventional combustion engines, eight electric vehicles left the pit lane, too. Also on the race track in Friedrichshafen was the current world champion - the team Global Formula Racing of the University Ravensburg and the Oregon State University.
A total of 300 students were on the trade fair grounds. Additionally, 40 members of the ZF organizational team as well as 30 engineers and experts from different ZF expert departments from all over Germany gave advice and supported the teams. A service no other company except for ZF offers to the students.
To get inspired by technology
But not only the students benefit from the event. Formula Student makes it possible for a technological leader like ZF to connect the topics of engineering education and motorsports in practice. "We are strongly involved in this topic because we perceive it as an important contribution to raising educational quality at the universities", says Jürgen Holeska, ZF Executive Vice President, Human Resources. It is not part of the ZF corporate culture to constantly 'just' complain about the lack of qualified engineers and skilled workers. "Instead, we actively support events such as this one to create enthusiasm for technology and engineering among young people."
This is the reason why in 2011 for the first time, school classes of the whole Lake Constance region were invited to come to the trade fair grounds. They could feel the racing atmosphere, talk with students and experts, and also get information about ZF as an attractive employer. "Nowadays, young people's attitude towards technology is not hostile but rather marked by disinterest", says Dr. Michael Ruf, Head of International Personnel Marketing in the ZF Group. "Our response to this lack of interest consists of events such as the Race Camp that present technology in a clear and vivid way."
ZF supports 19 university teams worldwide
Since 2002, ZF has been strongly committed to the Formula Student. Today, 19 university teams are sponsored - among others from Tokyo, Zürich, or Ann Arbor near Detroit. ZF supports the international young talents with financial help, high-tech racing products, or by providing support for the production of individual components, for example. Granting of scholarships or diploma theses is part of the package of support, as well.
