Porsche 2007 Annual Report Download - page 72

Broad commitment
to promoting young talent
The future of both Porsche in particular and German
industry in general depends on a ready, domestic
supply of well-trained engineering graduates.
Baden-Württemberg alone currently has a shortfall
of 15,000 engineers. This deficit is increasingly
proving a barrier to innovation at small and medium-
sized enterprises. Porsche undertakes a range of
activities to promote young talent in support of the
domestic economy. The “Ferry Porsche Award” was
once again awarded to the best graduates of gene-
ral and vocational high schools in Germany with
math or physics/technology as main subjects. The
prize was awarded to 233 young people in February
2008. Ten scholarships for overseas internships
were also raffled off during the award ceremony at
the Development Center in Weissach.
Together with the subsidiary Porsche Consulting,
the automotive manufacturer supports young,
innovative entrepreneurs as a partner of the “Deut-
scher Gründerpreis” (“German Founders’ Award”).
The intention is for these entrepreneurs to be
able to realize their ideas and visions in Germany.
The other partners are “stern” magazine, the
“Sparkasse” savings banks and the TV broadcaster
ZDF. The prize is considered the most prestigious
distinction for outstanding German entrepreneurs.
It is awarded annually in the categories “High
school student”, “Start-up”, “Up-and-coming” and
“Lifetime achievement”. The consultants at Porsche
Consulting support the preselection of applications
received and prepare the meetings of the award
panel. In addition, the nominees and award winners
receive one-on-one advice and training.
The significance that Porsche attaches to nur-
turing creativity is shown by the “Porsche Young
Talent Award for International Advertising”. The
Company uses this award to support promising
young advertising film makers. November 2008
saw the prize awarded for the fifth time at the
Ludwigsburger Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
As in previous years, a renowned international
jury of experts recognized four exceptionally
creative achievements with three main awards
and one special award. All four winners also re-
ceived a “David” trophy. This trophy serves as a
reminder of Porsche’s own philosophy that the
small can not only contend with the big, but also
come out on top.
Exciting vehicle launches
Press launches of new models are a fundamental
part of Porsche’s public relations work. These
events are always very popular with the participa-
ting journalists. A range of outstanding vehicle
launches was scheduled in fiscal 2007/08, beginn-
ing with the presentation of the new 911 GT2 in
September and October 2007. In northwestern
Germany, Porsche offered journalists from all over
the world the opportunity to test the leading sports
car model to its limits. A few weeks later, media
representatives were presented with the new, parti-
cularly sporty Cayenne GTS. Journalists got a first
taste during the test drives in November 2007 at
the events in the Algarve in southern Portugal.
Another highlight for participating media represen-
tatives during the year under review was the second
GTS launch in Sweden, around 200 kilometers in-
side the arctic circle. The journalists drove the all-
wheel-drive vehicle to the Ice Hotel at Jukkasjärvi,
well known among polar enthusiasts, on snow-
covered roads. They were then able to test the
handling of the new Cayenne GTS at the “Kiruna
Test Area” on the ice of the frozen lake Sautosjärvi.
Porsche offered representatives of the print media
and television broadcasters a particular treat at the
end of fiscal 2007/08 with a test drive of the new
911 Carrera models. As Porsche’s annual techno-
logy workshop was incorporated in the presenta-
tion of the Carrera 2 in Ludwigsburg in June 2008,
no technical question was left unanswered. At the
workshop, experts from the Research and Deve-
lopment Center in Weissach explained in detail the
technology that went into the new, reduced-emission
direct fuel injection and Porsche Doppelkupplungs-
getriebe (PDK). In July 2008, Porsche presented
the four-wheel-drive 911 Carrera 4 models, which
also have a new form of electronically controlled all-
wheel-drive, at Liebenberg castle manor near Berlin.
The presentation of the new 911 Targa in Septem-
ber and October 2008 at Lake Garda in Italy com-
pleted the launch of the new 911 models.
Imposing presentations in Frankfurt and Paris
The International Motor Show in Frankfurt has
always been a setting for exciting new Porsche
models. The sports car manufacturer did not dis-
appoint in the year under review, with four new
models on show. In September 2007, the 911
Turbo Cabriolet and the 911 GT2 were among the
highlights at the motor show.
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