Electro beats and plans for the future: business festival inspires several hundred students for electrical engineering and information technology

(Frankfurt a. M., 11.06.2024) Eagerly awaited: On June 7, the first Business Festival for Electronics, Information Technology and Computer Science attracted several hundred students and prospective students from all over Germany to Dresden. Under the motto "bits, bonding, bassline", the energetic mix of live music and career opportunities at Stromwerk Dresden in Kraftwerk Mitte provided a unique platform for bringing together young talent and leading companies in the technology sector. The numerous registrations not only illustrated the great interest in this format, they also confirmed the organizers' decision: To be continued.

"The high number of visitors impressively demonstrated how we can appeal to young people and get them interested in technical professions. We are delighted that we were able to reach so many students and young professionals and show them through the festival how exciting and important electrical engineering and information technology is today," emphasized the initiator of the event, Dr. Damian Dudek, Managing Director of the Information Technology Society in the VDE (VDE ITG). The event was organized by the VDE with the support of the Chair of Circuit Technology and Network Theory at Dresden University of Technology. Other sponsors include various companies, universities and the city of Dresden.

Clear the stage: Career starters and live acts celebrate electrical engineering and information technology

Young career starters provided first-hand experience. On stage, they shared their personal stories and talked about how they mastered their studies in electrical engineering and information technology, what motivated them and what exciting opportunities the field offers. 

In addition, several bands and DJs fired up the crowd at Stromwerk. These included the award-winning PARTYPROFs from TU Dresden – three electrical engineers with a passion for music, Goldbrasse with rousing guitar interludes, Foreghost with cool indie rock, and DJ Rob Lafête, who brought the latest hits from the world of electronic music. "Wow, the atmosphere was really great, it was fun to be part of it," said Prof. Frank Ellinger from TU Dresden. The dance performance by robot dogs from Boston Dynamics as part of the CeTI Cluster of Excellence also showed what electrical and information technology can achieve today.

The program met with great interest from the audience: "We really like the festival and we are thrilled that so many people are here. You can tell that people are interested because they are studying electrical engineering or computer science themselves. Here you can meet companies at eye level in a relaxed atmosphere," agreed a student from Erlangen and a research assistant from Nuremberg.

Shaping the future together: Companies pitch to students

Numerous companies also offered a wide range of activities to promote exchanges between students, prospective students and industry in a relaxed atmosphere. Job placement made easy was the motto of the late-night business talk, for example: while industry representatives presented the exciting prospects of electronics and information technology, the young visitors were able to easily scan the companies' job advertisements from the screen using a QR code. 

"As a company, you have to be open to innovation: When we were first introduced to the new 'bits, bonding, bassline' concept, our team not only showed openness, but also enthusiasm. The decision was quickly made to get involved and present exciting career prospects at Bosch in a relaxed setting. The event itself then exceeded all our expectations," says Felix Assmann from Bosch Sensortec GmbH.

Attracting and promoting young talent – the beat goes on 

Almost every innovation today is based on electrical engineering. But while companies are desperately looking for young talent, 60 percent drop out of their electrical engineering and information technology studies. In order to counter the acute shortage of skilled workers and get more young people interested in electrical engineering, the VDE has been involved in promoting young talent and creating networking opportunities for years. VDE Young Net, the network for the next generation of electrical engineering specialists and managers, brings together around 3,500 students and young professionals in electrical engineering and information technology. New formats are designed to help show pupils and students exciting prospects and development opportunities. Next year's well-attended premiere of the business festival will therefore also offer the opportunity to immerse oneself in the world of electronics, information technology and computer science.

About VDE

VDE, one of the largest technology organizations in Europe, has been regarded as a synonym for innovation and technological progress for more than 130 years. VDE is the only organization in the world that combines science, standardization, testing, certification, and application consulting under one umbrella. The VDE mark has been synonymous with the highest safety standards and consumer protection for more than 100 years. 

Our passion is the advancement of technology, the next generation of engineers and technologists, and lifelong learning and career development “on the job”. Within the VDE network more than 2,000 employees at over 60 locations worldwide, more than 100,000 honorary experts, and around 1,500 companies are dedicated to ensuring a future worth living: networked, digital, electrical.  
Shaping the e-dialistic future. 

The VDE (VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies) is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. For more information, visit www.vde.com