Mainz, October 30, 2008 – As part of “AFRIKA KOMMT!”, an advanced education program for future leaders from sub-Sahara Africa sponsored by German firms, SCHOTT, the technology group from Mainz, Germany, will be providing assistance to a mechanical engineer from Ghana. The objectives of the one-year program 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.

Professor Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of the Board of Management at SCHOTT, emphasized the significance of the project for the group. As he puts it, “The ‘AFRIKA KOMMT!’ program gives us the chance to live up to our social responsibility at the international level, as well. We are pleased to be able to provide assistance in developing technologies and markets where it is desperately needed. We’ll be transporting know-how into a region in which it will help support economic build-up efforts.” SCHOTT is already involved in other African aid projects, including provision of a solar-driven emergency power system for a hospital ward in Senegal that opened in October.

The recipient of the SCHOTT scholarship, Frederick Kenneth Appiah, is currently taking part in a company program that focuses mainly on solar. 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. One unique aspect about Appiah’s training program is that he will also be given the opportunity to obtain system-related expertise and skills in installing solar modules, because he will also be spending time with Energiebau Köln, a SCHOTT sales partner.

Renewable energy supplies are Appiah’s profession. He once worked for Ghana’s energy commission, Accrai, as a senior manager for the renewable energy program. 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.”

Today, Germany’s Federal President, Horst Köhler, invited the Chairmen and members of the boards of management of the 19 companies involved, the partner firms and the program participants to meet at the Office of the Federal President to discuss their joint plans.

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).

Contact:

Klaus Hofmann
Tel.:     0049 (0)6131 / 66-3662
E-mail: klaus-bernhard.hofmann@schott.com