NIBE is inspiring the engineers of tomorrow
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CEO of NIBE Gerteric Lindquist welcomes 9-year old students to NIBE. They get both a guided tour of the production facility and the chance to attend “Gerteric’s school” for some NIBE education. And, of course, the visit ends with a snack.
With its base in Markaryd, heat pump manufacturer NIBE wants to reduce the gap between the corporate world, students and school pupils. Through exciting exhibitions, professional tutors and visits to the production facility, NIBE wants to inspire the engineers of tomorrow.
A lot is happening in Markaryd. The Science Center Vetenskapshuset was recently opened – an initiative from heat pump manufacturer NIBE and Markaryd municipality that is to serve as a meeting place for pupils, students, entrepreneurs and the public. NIBE is also expanding its premises next to Vetenskapshuset.
The expansion is obviously one way for NIBE to meet increased international demand for sustainable energy solutions, but will also strengthen Markaryd municipality and provide a source of inspiration for young people. School classes will be invited to Vetenskapshuset where they can see exhibitions from the Nobel Prize Museum and the National Swedish Museum of Science and Technology. After this, they can visit the neighbouring companies, including NIBE’s production facilities.
“When I was a young boy, there was no real opportunity to visit companies and see their operations. Companies were an abstract concept for me. It was only in my twenties that I came into contact with that world, which is relatively late. At NIBE, we believe that children and young people should develop a multifaceted view of society, which also includes the corporate world. But for them to get that, we have to invite them here. We must show them what a company actually is and what we do,” explains Gerteric Lindquist, CEO of NIBE.
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The children who visit NIBE are able to look around the factory and observe the manufacturing process. They usually really enjoy getting the chance to look at the industrial robots and the manual work being carried out.
“Sitting on major opportunities”
Therefore in Markaryd, students get the chance to visit Vetenskapshuset and familiarise themselves with NIBE’s operations as early as year five. Gerteric Lindquist also travels to universities and colleges to give lectures to budding engineers.
“I want to bridge the gap between academia and business. I want to give the students a broader and deeper perspective of what it means to be an engineer and technician. I want them to see that they are sitting on a major opportunity to have a positive impact on companies and wider society, and that as engineers they have a responsibility to that society,” he adds.
Seventy years of thinking sustainably
When referring to measures to improve society, Gerteric is speaking from a climate and environmental perspective. NIBE’s operations have taken a sustainable approach since the company was launched more than seventy years ago.
“We considered sustainability long before it became a fashionable term. The basis of our operations has always included economising on the energy and resources used. Today, this is referred to as sustainability, whereas thirty years ago people would say that it was economical to use less energy. We are not perfect, but we are proud of our products and feel that we are a part of the solution to create a more sustainable society,” adds Lindquist.
Inside the “classroom” CEO of NIBE Gerteric Lindquist talks about NIBE’s history and the products made at NIBE. All of the children can ask questions and things can get quite animated at times.
Through this investment in Markaryd, NIBE is striving to keep playing its part in creating a better society.
“As a major employer in a small town and a market-leader in sustainable energy solutions, we have the opportunity to make a difference both locally and globally. We have a strong belief in the future of Markaryd and the climate that we want to pass on. Our aim is to convey a positive image of our municipality and the future. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And, when we have the courage to believe that, then we can make a difference,” concludes Gerteric Lindquist.