As part of the Sustainability Dialogue India 2023, Mercedes-Benz announced its support for ‘beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship’, a global programme to provide thousands of young innovators with training, mentoring, expert support, scholarships, and funding to launch their projects in the areas of environmental sustainability, and decarbonization. The beVisioneers programme is an initiative designed and implemented by experts of a German non-profit organization, The DO School Fellowships, aimed at enabling young participants to pursue project ideas that will make a measurable positive impact on the local communities and the environment. Mercedes-Benz will fund the programme on a yearly basis by way of donations.
The seed capital for the fellowship comes from the auction proceeds of the iconic 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé. The car was auctioned in May 2022 at a record price of 135 million EUR to a private collector.
Announcing the support for the global fellowship programme in India, Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG for Integrity and Legal Affairs, said, “As a global company and luxury brand, our responsibility does not end at our factory gates. Donating proceeds from the auction of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé – the most valuable car in history – gives us the opportunity to support something even more valuable: sustainable change. We are very happy that India is among the first few regions to be included in the programme, which is implemented by an independent non-profit organisation. We see this as a testament to the extensive capabilities of the talent pool in India to build a smart and sustainable future. We are looking forward to recognizing the exemplary ideas that emerge from this programme and its impact on local communities. We wish all fellows every success as they make their vision a reality.”
Manu Saale, CEO and MD, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, said, “Sustainability is one of the core values for Mercedes-Benz and we strongly believe in creating value for all stakeholder groups: for customers, employees, and investors as well as for business partners and society as a whole. With the first Sustainability Dialogue hosted in India, Mercedes-Benz reinforces its commitment to India and partners in the journey towards achieving India’s sustainable development goals.”
“We are very happy to support beVisioneers which promotes young talent at the intersection of sustainability, leadership, and innovation. It is a proud moment for us as India is among the first few countries to be included in this programme,” added Manu Saale.