Munich, 27 July 2021 – More than 2,000 young
professionals from over 190 countries came together over the weekend
both physically and virtually at the One Young World (OYW) Summit to
discuss global social challenges and opportunities for sustainable
business, with the goal of working together to find solutions.
The theme of this year’s summit was “Innovation”, as applied to
topics such as the climate crisis, freedom and civil rights, and
education. A number of high-profile guests from the worlds of
business, politics, society, sport and culture provided the young
people with advice and inspiration, among them Nobel Peace Prize
winner Professor Muhammad Yunus, singer and activist Bob Geldof, and
former footballer Hope Solo. More than 60 BMW Group delegates from
locations around the world were selected to attend the OYW Summit in Munich.
“Working at the BMW Group means taking responsibility”
As a longstanding supporter of OYW, the BMW Group took advantage of
its role as this year’s co-host to encourage participants to seek
solutions and push for needed changes with their own ideas and
projects. “Each and every one of us can play a part in making the
economy more sustainable. And I have a good reason for being confident
that we can achieve this enormous transformation: namely, our
employees,” noted Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management
of BMW AG responsible for Human Resources and an OYW Counsellor, at
the big closing ceremony on Sunday at BMW Welt. “The reason for my
optimism is employees like Evelin Hartmann and Florian Kantop,”
Horstmeier added. The two talented young people from the MINI design
team and the seat development department set themselves the goal of
finding a sustainable and recyclable alternative to leather seat
covers. With the help of their colleagues, they developed a design
concept for a 100 percent recyclable seat cover that produces over 99
percent less CO2 emissions than conventional leather covers. “Along
with seats, our teams are also taking a closer look at vehicle
components such as the floor trim, trunk and headliner. There is
plenty of potential there!” promised the two when presenting their
project on the OYW stage at BMW Welt.
The BMW Group’s other OYW delegates have likewise recognised this
potential – and, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals, are also helping to make the world a little better
through their projects. They collect and recycle PVC scraps from
manufacturing, make backpacks and toilet bags from old factory
uniforms, and support schools in South Africa with solar energy
storage units made from used high-voltage batteries.
“It’s up to us to take responsibility”
“It’s up to us to take responsibility,” says Ilka Horstmeier.
Thinking hard about the future and actively shaping it today is thus
not only the guiding principle of the OYW organisation but is also
strongly anchored in the consciousness of the BMW Group.
Far-sightedness and social responsibility can even be called hallmarks
of the BMW Group. This also includes offering committed young
professionals a platform for complex and constructive discussions
about solutions for the future. “We must strive to develop a common
image of our society – as a people-centred society that balances
solutions to environmental and social problems with economic
progress,” according to Horstmeier.
The four-day One Young World Summit is held in a different city each
year. The host city in 2022 will be Tokyo.
Please contact us if you have any queries:
Corporate Communications
Angela Konert, BMW Group, Spokesperson Human Resources
Phone: +49-89-382-50591, angela.konert@bmw.de
Markus Sagemann, BMW Group, Head of Communications Human Resources,
Corporate Citizenship
Phone: +49-89-382-68796, markus.sagemann@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly
facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in
more than 140 countries. In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million
passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The
profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on
revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the
BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set its course for the
future early on and is making sustainability and resource efficiency
the focus of the company’s strategic direction – from the supply
chain, through production, to the end of the use phase, for all its products.
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