Torsten Klavs shares insights on his daily work in the Taycan, a symbolically traveling ambassador for the "Join the Porsche Ride" campaign. He emphasizes Porsche's intention to make a difference by actively participating in society in various nations.
Torsten Porsche is referred to in the Sustainability Strategy 2030 as a partner in society. How does this affect your work, and what drives you personally?
Torsten Klavs: I've worked for Porsche for 33 years, and during that time, I've had the chance to work on cutting-edge initiatives that put a strong emphasis on people. As a car manufacturer, I am conscious of Porsche's social obligation. We wish to uphold this obligation by seeing ourselves as participants in society and viewing social responsibility as an opportunity that is separate from financial concerns. Through empowerment and sustained engagement, we hope to provide people all around the world with the tools they need to enhance their quality of life or the environment and autonomously influence how people will live in the future.
Porsche is working to implement this goal via "Join the Porsche Ride". What is this initiative exactly?
Mr. Torsten Klavs The core of "Join the Porsche Ride" is the "empowerment" of various target groups, depending on the location of the world and what is required there. Our initiatives span a variety of areas, including the inclusion of persons with disabilities and enhancements to health protection, as well as educational programs for kids on environmental and sustainability issues. The Taycan, in which we are presently seated, serves as an ambassador and a symbol for these undertakings. It travels the globe and promotes our initiatives and aims. With our partners, the car is always the initial starting signal for new projects. It represents our program in public. And I think, "What a lovely face! How did "Join the Porsche Ride" come to be?
Torsten Klavs: After lengthy discussions, we frequently came to the opinion that education in particular may significantly enhance living conditions - in a variety of ways. Education is frequently a factor in environmental protection. We take the stance of assisting individuals in assisting themselves. Porsche has, incidentally, been active globally for a long time, including in the Philippines. We have been providing local training to socially disadvantaged young adults in occupations related to the automotive industry since 2008. Direct entry to the labor market is made possible in this way. This is advantageous for the trainees, their families, Porsche dealers, and our clients. 'Join the Porsche Ride' was developed with the help of our expertise and our extensive global educational network. Due to our close proximity to the markets, we have also been able to more clearly identify and categorize the demands and requirements on location. The 'Join the Porsche Ride' campaign is specifically designed to address this.
What specifically does this look like?
Mr. Torsten Klavs Our initiatives will be carried out across five different continents. Every nation faces unique demands and difficulties. We collaborate closely with non-governmental groups, foundations, and local authorities to identify these. With the intention of implementing them permanently and in measurable ways, we jointly evaluate societal concerns and create new thoughts and techniques. The "Join the Porsche Ride" Taycan set off from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and has made stops in Leipzig, Switzerland, France, and South Africa since 2022. Let's look at Switzerland as an illustration: What role does the initiative's work play in Switzerland's developed economy?
Mr. Torsten Klavs That's accurate: Switzerland is a wealthy nation and cannot in any way be compared to nations in the Global South. Understanding mountains, hiking paths, and lakes as distinguishing characteristics of the local society is necessary to adapt to Switzerland's needs. Our research soon revealed that the issue of inclusion is a social one. In order to provide persons with disabilities with barrier-free access to nature and thereby promote social cohesion, we have devised a program in collaboration with our partner Porsche Switzerland and a non-governmental organization. For instance, we have enhanced wheelchair safety in collaboration with Porsche experts, and these wheelchairs are currently being developed into specialized hiking wheelchairs. Young people are also receiving training to become capable friends.
You are definitely emotionally affected by your commitment. What lessons about yourself can you draw from your projects?
Torsten Klavs: Through international cooperation, I've seen a variety of societal struggles and unstable personal circumstances. from wheelchair users in Switzerland to street kids in the Philippines. It makes me happy to observe how our actions generate social value and promote a more independent way of living. An important goal of my work is to track positive and, most importantly, sustainable progress and to be able to quantify it. My key realization is that, via networked collaborative solutions, we may overcome present-day problems. Everyone can contribute individually to the big picture, but we all benefit more from collaboration and networking, including people in industry, politics, local and international organizations, and individuals.
What will be the next stop for the "Join the Porsche Ride" Taycan?
Mr. Torsten Klavs The South African stop was already a highlight in 2023. We were able to establish a program for vocational preparation there. Every year, it is intended to prepare about 30 young people from townships for higher education and the workforce. They are empowered to start training and maybe break the cycle of poverty on their own by doing this over a longer period of time with professional and socio-psychological support. 'Join the Porsche Ride' will make China its next stop. In the 20 million-person city of Chengdu, it is intended to build a Sino-German teaching and competency center. The emphasis is on educating and training teachers in educational programs related to digitization, environmental protection, and health. China has important issues. From kindergarten through university level, specially created teaching methods are to be incorporated into Chinese curricula. We will next proceed to Saudi Arabia and Brazil. We already have Chile on our radar for 2024.