Corporate Citizenship

The corporate citizenship of the Schaeffler Group follows the mission statement “In the region – for the region.” The company thus considers itself to be responsible for fostering social well-being beyond its core business, especially in the areas around Schaeffler sites. These initiatives focus on the three core areas of “Education and Science,” “Health and Social Issues,” and “Sports and Culture.”

Especially in its two core areas “Education and Science” and “Health and Social Issues,” the Schaeffler Group is intensively engaged in realizing projects that help achieve the SDGs “education for all” (SDG 4) and “healthy lives and well-being for all” (SDG 3).

A Group-wide sponsoring guideline ensures that funds provided by the company are used in a targeted way. Any payments to individual persons or to organizations and initiatives that do not work towards the common good are excluded, as are payments intended to generate profits or those that do not conform to the Schaeffler Group’s Code of Conduct. The following projects are listed here as examples; information about further projects and actions of the Schaeffler Group can be found on the company website.

Education and Science

Education, training, and scientific research are key factors for success in the Schaeffler Group’s business model. The Schaeffler Group is active in the area of education and science through strategic partnerships and cooperations. For example, in 2015 Schaeffler became a supporting member of the initiative “Knowledge Factory – Companies for Germany.” Among other things, Schaeffler has been supporting young engineers around the world for over ten years through the Formula Student program, helping them turn their abilities into practical success.

The Schaeffler FAG Foundation, established in 1983, is a major player in the Schaeffler Group’s involvement in education and science. The purpose of the foundation is to support science, research, and teaching in scientific and technical fields related to bearing technology. The foundation sees itself as a bridge between science and the economy that brings together people’s visions and goals in research, teaching, and the economy.

In May 2017, the “Young Car Mechanic” competition in Poland took place for the first time; the Schaeffler Group was one of the main partners. In the competition, students from Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia carried out different tasks for virtual vehicle repair with specially constructed car mechanic simulators. The goal of the competition is to get young people excited about the career of being a mechanic.

Health and Social Issues

The Schaeffler Group understands responsible engagement to mean positively influencing its surroundings and supporting people in need or who face difficult living conditions, within the scope of its possibilities.

With its HOPE initiative (health, occupational skills, preservation of culture & heritage, and empowerment of society), carried out through Schaeffler India Limited, the Schaeffler Group is continually realizing social projects in India. Under the initiative’s slogan “May everyone be happy,” a school in Vadodara was expanded in 2017. Soon, 800 students will be given the opportunity to obtain an education, compared to less than 200 students previously.

In 2017, Schaeffler Group employees at the Fort Mill, SC, USA site recognized the need to help the local population cope with the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. They donated USD 11,431 to the local Red Cross; the company donated an additional USD 35,000.

In September 2017, Mexico was hit by an earthquake with devastating consequences. The employees of the site in Puebla offered assistance to the local population with first aid in the form of food, drinking water, hygiene articles, and clothing. In addition, nearly USD 27,000 were donated to the Earthquake Relief Fund. In 2017, the Automotive Aftermarket business division decided not to buy the usual Christmas gifts for business partners and instead donated EUR 15,000 to the Mexican aid organization “Jóvenes Constructores de la Comunidad A.C.” This donation is being used to rebuild destroyed houses in Mexico City and Puebla.

The Schaeffler FAG Magyarország Ipari Ltd. at the Debrecen site was recognized with a Business Ethics Award in the category of multinational companies in 2017. The prize has been awarded since 2000 by the Budapest Club Foundation and the business magazine Piac és Profit.

The Schaeffler Group supports corporate volunteering. To this end, employees initiate various projects at company sites. For example, Schaeffler Greater China maintains a long-term partnership with the Chinese Shapo Elementary School in Henan Province. In June 2017, the elementary schoolchildren received material donations in the form of school bags, books, and secondhand laptops. In the same vein, a partnership with the Tongji Elementary School was established at the site Anting in order to better acquaint the local employees and schoolchildren with German culture or topics relating to climate protection, among others.

Sports and Culture

The Schaeffler Group contributes to conveying values by supporting sports and cultural activities and thus generates momentum for positive social development.

The Schaeffler Group stands for a long tradition in motorsports, which is why the company uses its technology to support competitions such as the German Touring Car Championship (Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft, or DTM), the FIA World Endurance Championship (Langstrecken-Weltmeisterschaft, or WEC), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans). The Schaeffler Group has been represented at the electric motorsports racing series, the Formula E, since 2014. The goal of the race is to represent a vision for the future of the automotive industry, to encourage research and development surrounding electric vehicles, and to continue increasing interest in the E-Mobility of tomorrow. After winning second place in the Formula E championship in last year’s season, ABT-Schaeffler-Audi sport pilot Lucas di Grassi was able to take the world title in 2017 with the help of Schaeffler’s technology.

In November 2017, the female employees of the Schaeffler site Barcelona participated in Europe’s largest women’s sporting event, the “Carrera de la Mujer.” The event raised money to fight breast cancer and violence against women.

2017 marks 45 years that the city of Herzogenaurach has maintained a city partnership with Kaya, Burkina Faso. This partnership has fostered intercultural exchange between Germany and Burkina Faso. In the anniversary year, a benefit project “Run for Kaya!” took place in connection with the seventh Earth Day in Herzogenaurach, for which Schaeffler was one of the sponsors. Since 2012, the Schaeffler Música cultural festival has been taking place each year in the Brazilian city of Sorocaba, exciting the local population with various forms of classical music. Moreover, the company supports benefit events such as the “Schaeffler Water Challenge.” In 2017, this included water jousting and a “Rowdy River Race” in Schweinfurt. In cooperation with the Rotary Club Schweinfurt-Peterstirn, approximately EUR 125,000 in funds were raised to support charitable social projects in that region.