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Fill arouses interest in technology and successfully secures young talent
The machine engineering company Fill from Gurten in Upper Austria is setting standards in the promotion of young talent with innovative educational initiatives. As a major manufacturer of casting machines, Fill is actively involved in the education and training of young talent with programmes such as the Future Lab, the Next World Factory, the Bee-o Lab and Hackathons. These concepts awaken an interest in technology and secure skilled labour in the long term. As a regular exhibitor at EUROGUSS, Fill actively contributes its expertise to the industry dialogue.
‘Every child who chooses the wrong career is one too many.’
With this clear statement, Andreas Fill, CEO and owner of the company from the Innviertel region, emphasises the central challenge of recruiting young talent: young people must be given the opportunity to discover and develop their talents at an early stage. Fill has recognised this and is taking a variety of approaches.
Fill Future LabFuture Lab: Discovering technology through play
With the Future Lab, for example, Fill has created an interactive educational platform aimed at children, young people and adults. In eight laboratories covering a total of 140 square metres, visitors are given a hands-on insight into the world of technology and digitalisation. State-of-the-art technologies such as 3D printing, green screens, robots and programming platforms make careers in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) tangible.
Since opening in 2021, more than 10,000 visitors have taken part in workshops at the Future Lab. ‘Many pupils are unaware of the numerous career opportunities open to them and the wide range of educational options often remains abstract,’ says Andreas Fill. His aim is to awaken enthusiasm for technology and provide a playful approach to technical professions. In addition to school classes and young people, customers, suppliers and partner companies are also invited to use the premises for innovation workshops and co-operations.
At the Next World Factory, apprentices gain in-depth knowledge in the STEM fieldNext World Factory: apprenticeship training rethought
Fill's Next World Factory, which has opened at the end of 2024, is a specialised training facility for apprentices and young technical talent. On 180 square metres, six practice-oriented modules - including the Energy Lab, Engineering Lab and Welding Lab - provide in-depth knowledge in various technical areas. A central element is the team-based development of an e-car model, in which apprentices acquire comprehensive skills in design, production and sustainable energy technology.
In this way, the company wants to give apprentices the opportunity to look beyond their own apprenticeship and familiarise themselves with various technical areas so that they are optimally prepared for their professional future. The Next World Factory is not only open to Fill apprentices, but is also used by other companies in the region to train their junior staff.
Hackathon: teamwork and innovation
Another flagship of the educational strategy is the annual hackathon, which is aimed at pupils from the higher technical colleges in the Innkreis region. In interdisciplinary teams, the participants solve challenging mechatronic tasks. Last year's challenge was to develop a 3D-printed gripper for an industrial robot and then programme it.‘Mechanical engineering is an extremely complex topic, and the hackathon impressively demonstrated how important interdisciplinary collaboration is in order to drive innovation,’ emphasises Andreas Fill. The hackathon is a prime example of how business and education can go hand in hand, says the company boss.
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Fill renaturalises an area previously used as a car park and builds the Bee-o Lab outdoor laboratory.Bee-o Lab: experience bionics and sustainability
Fill conveys the close connection between nature and technology with the Bee-o Lab, which is aimed at children, young people, families and educational institutions. The 10,000 square metre outdoor laboratory that is currently under construction demonstrates how principles from nature can inspire innovation. At six interactive stations, visitors will learn, among other things, which applications can be derived from the structures of honeycombs.
In the Bee-o Lab, Fill wants to make the principles of bionics - the transfer of natural phenomena to technical applications - understandable.
From 2025, it will be available for guided tours for school classes and as a freely accessible experience station.
Vision 2028: Next World Academy
With the Next World Academy, Fill is pursuing the goal of establishing the most modern educational facility for technical professions in Austria by 2028. The Future Lab, the Next World Factory and an extended training workshop are to be combined there. In addition to practical technical training modules, the programme includes new learning methods, international cooperation and the development of a separate bilingual school.
The focus is on the skills that will shape the working world of tomorrow, such as analytical thinking to solve complex challenges, technical expertise, particularly in dealing with new materials, creativity to develop innovative solutions and, of course, teamwork and social intelligence as essential skills for networked working environments.
Andreas Fill: ‘Our vision with the Next World Academy is to promote the best talent and create an environment in which innovation, creativity and collaboration take centre stage.’
