Mainz, November 28, 2008 – As part of “AFRIKA KOMMT!”, the advanced education program for future leaders from sub-Sahara Africa sponsored by German firms, SCHOTT, the technology group from Mainz, Germany, is supporting Frederick Kenneth Appiah, a mechanical engineer from Ghana.

Professor Udo Ungeheuer, the Chairman of the Board of SCHOTT, greeted Appiah upon his arrival at the company’s corporate headquarters in Mainz and wished him success for his further education, which will mainly focus on solar power. Ungeheuer underscored the importance of the project: “The ‘AFRIKA KOMMT!’ program also gives us the chance to live up to our social responsibility at the international level. We are pleased that Frederick Kenneth Appiah will soon be able to contribute towards developing technologies and markets in his native country, thanks to the new experience he’ll gain. Consequently, SCHOTT will be transporting know-how into a region in which it will help support economic build-up efforts,” he added.

Appiah is currently taking part in a company program that includes many different aspects of solar power. He will be experiencing wafer manufacturing at Wacker SCHOTT Solar in Jena and Alzenau and production of solar cells at SCHOTT Solar in Alzenau, as well as module manufacturing in Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic. Afterwards, Appiah will be given the opportunity to obtain system-related expertise and skills in installing solar modules by spending time with Energiebau Köln, a SCHOTT sales partner.

Appiah previously worked as a senior manager for the renewable energy program for Ghana’s energy commission, Accrai. He has also set high goals for himself. “I’ll be acting as a link between companies in order to support sales and exchanges, as well as the transfer of technologies and services.”

The objectives of the one-year program ‘AFRIKA KOMMT!’ are to help young African candidates for management positions improve their qualifications, establish active networks for cooperation at the business level and intensify economic cooperation between companies from Germany and the 42 nations south of the Sahara.

SCHOTT is an international technology group that sees its core purpose as the lasting improvement of living and working conditions. To this end, the company has been developing special materials, components and systems for nearly 125 years. The main areas of focus are the household appliances industry, pharmaceuticals, solar energy, electronics, optics and the automotive industry. The SCHOTT Group is present in close proximity to its customers with production and sales companies in all its major markets. The Group’s approximately 16,700 employees generated worldwide sales of approximately 2.1 billion euros for its 2006/2007 fiscal year. The company's technological and economic expertise is closely linked with its social and ecological responsibility. The parent company of the SCHOTT Group is SCHOTT AG, whose sole shareholder is the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung (Foundation).

Editorial contact: Dr. Haike Frank

Tel.: 0049 (0)6131 / 66-4088

E-mail: haike.frank@schott.com