Moving into the 21st year of their partnership, Siemens and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) are expanding their cooperation: several partner companies of Siemens Group are joining the framework contract extended for another five years. At the signature ceremony of the agreement the leaders of these companies also shared their plans and objectives regarding the partnership.

The partnership between the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and Siemens started 20 years ago, in 1999 with the aim of providing the opportunity for professional development to the next generations, supporting the training of future engineers. The two organisations renew their cooperation every five years so with this present, i.e. fifth contract they have 20-year experience regarding their partnership.

This occasion is special as several partner companies of the Siemens Group have joined the cooperation this year, emphasizing that it is of utmost importance for the company to contribute to the further improvement of engineer training. Siemens Mobility Kft. engaged in traffic systems, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Kft. dealing with renewable energy and evosoft Hungary Kft. operating as a software developer are all committed to the professional support of engineering students.

The framework agreement concluded for the period of 2019-2023 was signed today at the signature ceremony by Dr. János Józsa Rector and Attila Kotán Chancellor on behalf of BME; Dale A. Martin, CEO of Siemens Zrt.; Dr. László Ludvig, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility Kft.; István Petényi, Managing Director of evosoft Hungary Kft.; and Péter Albrecht, Managing Director of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Kft.

“I am happy and proud that BME and our group make the mutual decision year by year to continue this exemplary cooperation, benefitting not only the organisations concerned but also the students and the whole country. We are placing great importance on the infrastructural support of university and student projects also this year, helping students to obtain internship positions and employment in order to enable them to develop their talent, and we are still supporting innovative student ideas and programmes,” said Dale A. Martin, the CEO of Siemens Zrt.

“Without strong, reciprocal industrial cooperation, the University of Technology would not experience this expected, satisfying, steady progress. In all this, Siemens has been our key partner for two decades now. Our joint results speak for themselves but we need to relentlessly establish the grounds for future success today as it is not born of its own accord. The ongoing maintenance and expansion of relations for the development of new technologies and methods guarantee the success of our joint innovation activity,” said Dr. János Józsa, Rector of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

“Siemens Mobility Kft. was the first to support the programme of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology providing a dual degree. Our company awards scholarships to six talented computer engineer and electrical engineer students winning Mobility’s competition for one or two semesters. We know that tomorrow’s professionals are sitting at the school desks; it is worth finding and supporting them even during their training. We are proud that we can make it possible for these young people to gain experience in the latest technologies even during their university years thanks to our scholarship; we count on them during and after their studies to participate in the research of innovative solutions,” highlighted Dr. László Ludvig, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility Kft.

“As a knowledge-based company, we consider it an essential part of our mission to pass down the expertise of our engineers and computer scientists to the future engineers. We believe that it is a mutually beneficial cooperation to support the students’ practical education and provide them with state-of-the-art technologies to help them gain knowledge. They may drive our company in the future and they hold the promise of our future,” pointed out István Petényi, Managing Director of evosoft Hungary Kft.

“Our key strategy is to bring activities with increasing added value from the international arena to Hungary. To ensure its best implementation, we must keep an eye on the future generation of engineers and make every effort to guarantee they have the knowledge that later on may be important to, apart from the Hungarian society, our company. We also strongly support the cooperation and are happy to be part of this initiative,” said Péter Albrecht, Managing Director of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Kft.

The two parties took their partnership to a higher level in 2016: Siemens was the first in Hungary to start a dual technical master’s degree programme in cooperation with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. The theory is taught to the participating students at the university, while they become acquainted with the practical expectations of the labour market at Siemens. Siemens will continue to concentrate on supporting the professional talents of the next generation of employees in the most possible areas.

In the presence of János Áder, President of the Republic, and László Palkovics, Minister of Innovation and Technology, the first research and development program of ALTEO, worth EUR 3,2 million, was completed. The Hungarian listed company was one of the first companies in Central-Eastern Europe and Hungary to build an industrial-scale battery storage facility. The innovation was supported by  the National Research, Development and Innovation Office with nearly EUR1,5 million.

The implementation lasted from July 2017 to June 2019, and since August last year the test run and minor improvements have been implemented. The facility has been successfully connected to the domestic electricity network by ALTEO, which can greatly contribute to the utilization of weather-dependent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

In September Nestlé announced its ambition to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It embraces the most ambitious aim of the Paris Agreement, to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. Ahead of the U.N. Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit this month, Nestlé will sign the ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ pledge.

With this announcement Nestlé is accelerating its climate change efforts. This builds on a decade of work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past four years, Nestlé has aligned its objectives with science-based targets to keep the temperature increase below 2°C. The company is determined to play a leading role in tackling climate change. Over the next two years, it will lay out a time-bound plan including interim targets consistent with the 1.5°C path. Nestlé will review its progress annually to ensure it is on track.

“Climate change is one of the biggest threats we face as a society. It is also one of the greatest risks to the future of our business,” said Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO. “We are running out of time to avoid the worst effects of global warming. That is why we are setting a bolder ambition to reach a net-zero future. Deploying Nestlé’s global resources and industry know-how, we know we can make a difference at significant scale. Our journey to net zero has already started. Now, we are accelerating our efforts,” he added.

To achieve its 2050 ambition, some of the company’s specific actions include:

• Speeding up the transformation of its products in line with consumer trends and choices. Nestlé will launch more products that have a better environmental footprint and contribute to a balanced diet. This includes more plant-based food and beverage options. Nestlé will also look to reformulate its products using more climate-friendly ingredients. Consumer demand for such products is rapidly increasing, and Nestlé’s core strategy is in line with this shift. The company is also moving to alternative packaging materials.

• Scaling up initiatives in agriculture to absorb more carbon. Nestlé will strengthen its programs with farmers to restore land and limit greenhouse gas emissions. This includes improved management of its dairy supply chain. Nestlé will step up efforts to protect forests by replanting trees and enhancing biodiversity. All of these initiatives will help build resilient agricultural communities.

• Using 100% renewable electricity in Nestlé factories, warehouses, logistics and offices. A third of Nestlé factories (143) are already using 100% renewable electricity. Nestlé will continue to increase the use of energy from renewable sources. This will enable suppliers to invest in new infrastructure such as wind and solar farms.

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires transformational change across industries, governments and society as a whole. Nestlé will continue its advocacy for government policies to ensure all sectors move faster towards 1.5°C. Supportive legislation could help to reduce barriers to expanding renewable energy markets, incentivize innovation in the agriculture and forestry sectors to capture more carbon, and help to establish carbon pricing.

Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President, Head of Operations at Nestlé said: “To align our goals to the 1.5°C pathway, we are transforming our operations. This will lead to a major shift in the way our ingredients are produced and sourced. We will need our suppliers to embark on this journey with us. The task is huge but we are determined to make it happen.” 

Nestlé’s 2050 ambition adds to its ongoing work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain. The company is making its distribution networks and warehouses more efficient by optimizing routes to reduce fuel consumption and to lower carbon emissions. In the company’s top 100 distribution centers, greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by close to 40% over the past four years. Nestlé has intensified its activities to ensure the responsible sourcing of its raw materials and it has made significant progress toward its zero deforestation goal. Since 2014, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain is equivalent to taking 1.2 million cars off the road.

The Tisza and the Tisza Lake have astonishing natural assets beloved by many Hungarian and foreign tourists as a holiday resort and fishing spot. However, a large amount of driftwood, organic material and communal waste are washed down here most of them originating from Ukraine and Romania. The Kisköre Dam is the first facility in the Hungarian section of the river which can stop the flood of waste thus protecting the lower sections.

This problem needs joint efforts to be tackled effectively. Water management authorities, civilian and industry players – the National Directorate General for Water Management, Plastic Cup and Coca‑Cola Hungary – announced jointly in the summer of 2019 that they were prepared to manage the challenge collectively.

Plastic Cup has held waste collecting activities on the Upper Tisza for years, which the Coca‑Cola joined so that they could help manage the situation with a financial support of HUF 73 million provided by the global foundation of the company and its employees’ volunteer work. Therefore, the program Zero Waste Tisza was launched this summer aimed at providing a constant protection, waste collection and recycling – namely cleaning up the river in an increasing proportion.

The outcome of the second action surpassed that of the first one: this time 170 bags of waste corresponding to 1.8 tonnes had been removed from the Tisza. Among the waste collected communal waste, glasses, metals and objects made of PET could be found. Most of them had been sorted out based on their type at the spot.