The first year of beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship is on the home stretch: just under 100 young people from India, South Africa and six European countries (Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, UK) have been taking part in the support program since June 2023, and will complete it in May 2024. At a "Global Summit" organized by The DO School Fellowships gGmbH in Stuttgart today, fellows are presenting promising projects and ideas. These range from an ambitious CO₂ sink and water-absorbing asphalt to environmentally friendly materials for the construction industry. Over the past few months, concrete ideas have been driven forward and the first prototypes have already been created.
After its successful launch Mercedes-Benz continues to finance the global fellowship program with donations, helping it to expand its program around the globe. From May 2024, it is to be expanded from the current eight to 35 countries and from the current 100 to 500 participants. In addition to the already participating countries, South Korea, the United States, Mexico, Kenya, Uganda, Switzerland, and all other countries of the European Union that were not yet part of the program will be included. In the future, beVisioneers will continue to grow: the aim is to support up to 1,000 young people per year from 2025 onward."We are very proud to support this unique initiative with donations – thus empowering a new and diverse generation of environmental innovators. In these days, I have experienced once again the ingenuity and optimism of the beVisioneers fellows. I am delighted that we can expand our support after the successful launch of the program. This will enable even more young people with the talent and ideas to bring about positive change. We wish the fellows every success in the world as they implement their visions."
Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Integrity, Governance & Sustainability
At the first Global Summit, which is currently taking place in Stuttgart and is organized by the non-profit organization The DO School Fellowships, selected fellows of the first beVisioneers year can present their projects to a jury and thus receive further funding for the implementation of their projects. In addition to the fellows, sustainability experts as well as representatives from business and science will take part in the summit.
About the program
beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship is designed and implemented by The DO School Fellowships; a non-profit organization based in Germany. The program is financed by donations from Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz underlines its commitment with a title sponsorship.
To provide the independent program with start-up capital, Mercedes-Benz auctioned off the most expensive car in history, a 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, for a record price of 135 million euros in May 2022.
The fellowship addresses creative people aged 16 to 28 who have promising ideas for sustainable, innovative projects. The non-profit The DO School Fellowships selects future fellows from different countries and backgrounds on the basis of their creative, viable project ideas. The ideas should promise a measurable positive impact on the environment and local communities.
The fellows receive access to project funding and, if necessary, further financial support. The support program offers participants a broad-based and intensive learning and coaching program with a special focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. During a twelve-month hybrid learning phase, the fellows are each assigned a personal mentor, as well as being given numerous opportunities to discuss their ideas in regular meetings.
But even after completing the intensive twelve months, the fellows remain part of the community and should continue to be supported. The long-term goal of beVisioneers is to build an inclusive, energetic community of fellows, mentors and experts from around the world who work together for greater sustainability.
Special mentoring program for Mercedes-Benz team
A specially designed training program, Impact Mentor Training, gives Mercedes-Benz employees the opportunity to develop their own skills as mentors and gain valuable perspectives that they can apply in both their professional and private lives. The training qualifies them to take on a mentoring role, for example for fellows in the beVisioneers program. In this way, Mercedes-Benz employees can support a young person outside the company in driving sustainable change and contribute to their own development in the process. The training offers employees valuable perspectives as part of their own further training, which they can apply in both their professional and private lives. As an employer, Mercedes-Benz also benefits when employees advance their personal development through such training or special mentoring experiences. The more colleagues gain this experience over the years, the deeper and more comprehensive their understanding of the company's sustainable transformation becomes.
The corporate citizenship strategy of Mercedes-Benz
As part of its corporate citizenship commitment, Mercedes-Benz supports projects that promote environmental sustainability and/ or foster community empowerment. The beVisioneers fellowship promotes these two focal points and thus reflects important elements of Mercedes-Benz's corporate citizenship strategy.
Start-up capital from the auction of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé
In May 2022, Mercedes-Benz auctioned off one of only two surviving Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé models dating from 1955 to a private collector – at a record price of 135 million euros. The decision to sell this icon of automotive history was a well-considered one: to support a good cause. Named after its creator and chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is regarded by automotive experts and enthusiasts worldwide as one of the most outstanding examples of automotive engineering and design.
