Audi 2013 Annual Report Download - page 195

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
AUDI IN SOCIETY
MANAGEMENT REPORT
192
A
AUDI IN SOCIETY
Social involvement is an important element of entrepreneurial
responsibility at AUDI AG. It stems from the conviction that
society is the bedrock of the Company’s long-term success and
therefore its future viability. As a major employer, Audi aims to
improve the quality of life at its locations and involves itself in
regional initiatives in particular.
In accordance with the support guideline of the Audi Group,
the primary areas of activity are education, technology and
worldwide disaster relief.
/ EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC COOPERATION
Audi specifically supports initiatives to provide education and
further training for children, young people and adults, above all
in the so-called MINT subject areas (mathematics, information
technology, natural sciences and technology). The Audi Training
Department has long been working in close collaboration with
teachers and students in the region. At the end of 2013, Audi
announced the decision to support Germany’s first dedicated
school for talented students from difficult backgrounds with
annual funding of up to EUR 1 million.
To widen the training options in and around its locations and at
the same time increase the Company’s innovative capacity in the
long term, Audi cooperates with a large number of universities.
This intensive collaboration accelerates knowledge transfer
between research and industry. The University of St. Gallen in
Switzerland and the Technical University of Dresden joined the
cooperation network in 2013. Audi works with 29 academic
establishments worldwide, in pursuit of the goal of attracting
highly qualified young people. There are currently over 140 doc-
toral students conducting academic projects financed by Audi.
Audi’s academic cooperation is not only limited to the university
sphere. Under the motto of “Experiencing Science,” Audi also
offers the “Audi Colloquium” series of public lectures as an
engaging way of disseminating knowledge. The specialist
lectures attracted a total audience of over 2,600 in 2013.
/ SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT
AUDI AG and its employees are also eager to get involved
socially.
The “Audi Volunteers” program, for example, encourages the
workforce to become involved in volunteer activities: In 2013,
730 employees participated in 83 social projects connected to
the Company as part of the “Audi Volunteer Days.”
3,000 employees took part in the 24-Hour Run in Ingolstadt,
raising a total of EUR 150,000 that AUDI AG donated to six
social causes.
Over 99.5 percent of the Audi workforce contributed to the
Christmas fundraising campaign in the past fiscal year. The
Works Council has held this regular fundraising drive since
1977. As every year, the money raised goes towards regional,
social and charitable causes at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm
sites. Employee donations, which are supplemented by addi-
tional contributions from the Company, raised the new record
sum of EUR 850,000 in 2013.
The “Spare Cents” campaign – where many employees donate
the remaining cents after the decimal point on their monthly
payslip – also raised around EUR 224,000 for projects run by
“terre des hommes” benefitting street children.
In addition, Audi provides disaster relief at home and abroad.
For example, last June the Company donated EUR 1 million in
disaster relief for the victims of the flooding in Germany and
Hungary. A collection arranged among the workforce at the
initiative of the Works Council raised a further EUR 515,000
for flood victims.