Stuttgart: Mercedes-Benz is supporting a global fellowship that will provide training and scholarships to tens of thousands of young people from around the world so that they can implement their proposals in the fields of environmental sustainability and decarbonization. Mercedes-Benz auctioned the world’s most expensive automobile, a 1955 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, for a record-breaking €135 million to fund the fellowship.
“As a multinational corporation and luxury brand, our responsibilities extend beyond the factory gates. By donating the money from the auction of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, the most expensive automobile in history, we are able to promote something even more valuable: sustainable change. beVisioneers seeks to provide a positive influence for its young people, their communities, and the environment. We are extremely delighted to support this innovative program, which enables a new and diverse generation of entrepreneurs. We wish all companions success in bringing their visions to life.” – Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management for Integrity and Legal Affairs at Mercedes-Benz Group AG
Mercedes-Benz will fund the program annually through donations and also serve as the title sponsor. The German non-profit group DO School Fellowships devised the concept for beVisioneers and is now executing it. Following a preliminary call for fellow applications in January 2023, beVisioneers will start in June 2023 with an initial cohort of colleagues from India, South Africa, and certain European nations (Germany, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, UK). Online applications are accepted at www.bevisioneers.world.
In the next years, beVisioneers will support up to one thousand young people annually. beVisioneers fellows will be young innovators between the ages of 16 and 28 with innovative ideas for sustainability projects. The DO School will carefully pick them from varied backgrounds. To be selected for the program, applicants must submit a project proposal that has the potential to have a quantifiable positive impact on the environment and, preferably, the applicant’s local community.
Mercedes-Benz auctioned off one of two exceedingly rare 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection in
The DO School specialists will present the fellows with a 12-month intense leadership, entrepreneurial, and sustainability-focused training and skill development program. During this 12-month hybrid-learning period, fellows will also be paired with a personal mentor, and The DO School-selected experts will share their knowledge and expertise in one-on-one or group meetings. The fellowship provides access to project financing and, if necessary, a stipend.
After the first year, fellows will continue to receive mentoring and expert assistance as part of their ongoing project and leadership development. The long-term objective of beVisioneers is to develop a diverse and successful worldwide community of fellows, mentors, and experts who collaborate at eye level to impact good environmental change.
As a global corporate citizen, Mercedes-Benz seeks to make measurable contributions to global society. Mercedes-Benz improved its corporate citizenship strategy and established a comprehensive approach based on the company’s core values in 2022. Through education, the beVisioneers fellowship program will promote sustainability and social harmony, reflecting parts of Mercedes-corporate Benz’s citizenship policy.
Mercedes-Benz sold one of two incredibly rare 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection to a private collector for €135 million at auction in May 2022. To support a worthy cause, the choice to sell the sports automobile was based on very strong rationale. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, named after its designer and principal engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, is regarded by automotive professionals and enthusiasts worldwide as one of the finest examples of automobile construction and design.
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