The team of helpers are the Schunk apprentices Tom Ackermann, Erik Bender, Valentino Bonello, Mats Bormet, Silas Förster, Marvin Lemke, Joris Lotz and Nicklas Wagner, their instructors Jens Crombach and Florian Peter, as well as Mario Theiss, Jan-Simon Schmidt, Leon Schmidt and Claus Wagner. 

Since Pulsar Photonics has become part of the Schunk Group, the laser micromachining specialist has been able to fully develop its potential - also thanks to joint projects with other Schunk companies. "Schunk's financial strength and the technology company's existing networks around the world open up completely new opportunities for us to further develop our cutting-edge technologies and market them globally," Dr. Jens Holtkamp, one of the three founding managing directors, said happily last June. At that time, the Schunk Group acquired a majority stake in Pulsar Photonics, the Aachen-based full-service provider for laser micromachining with short-pulse and ultrashort-pulse lasers.

They have both always been sports enthusiasts. "For me, sports are extremely important," says Kamil Wlotzka. "Running, racing bikes, swimming - I like to be on the move." In this respect, he feels similarly to Rainer Dörrie, who used to do triathlon. The two colleagues have been in sales at Schunk Ingenieurkeramik at the Willich site for two years and work together regularly, for example when it comes to oxide ceramics. And since then, they have been out and about together doing sports every now and then.

He already knew what to expect, but it was still shocking: "It still looks terrible in the Ahr Valley. The flood caused a lot of damage in the valley, and it will take a very, very long time to repair it," says Mario Theiß. Together with four other colleagues, the company electrician from Schunk Kohlenstofftechnik was in the Ahr Valley in October to help those affected by the flood disaster.

Dr. Alexander Gatej: Quite simply - driving innovation forward! As Global Innovation Manager, I am located at the corporate level of the Schunk Group. This function did not exist before and was created two years ago. Schunk has a very broad technological base; you could also call it a conglomerate. My task is just as broad and deals, among other things, with what incentives and structures the holding company can set up to motivate innovations and how networks can be established so that the developers in the individual Business Units come into closer contact with each other. They often work on related topics, but sometimes in parallel and not together. In the best case, however, this exchange leads to completely new ideas and application possibilities.

Climate change, finite resources - the topic of sustainability is of great importance to many companies. What Schunk means by sustainability and what the technology company is doing in this area is explained in an interview by Nils Henkel, Head of Finance. And he reveals who the first winner of the new Schunk Sustainability Award is.