German Chamber of Commerce in China/Shanghai gives out first More than a Market Awards in four categories

German companies Krones, Merck, Bayer and the Handicapped Workshop Taicang received an award for their outstanding efforts in social engagement.

For the first time, the German Chamber of Commerce in China/Shanghai, together with Bertelsmann Stiftung and supported by the German Consulate General Shanghai awarded the More than a Market-Award to four German companies to honor their outstanding social engagement in Chinese society.

Between October 2015 and 5th February 2016, German companies and organizations with operations in East China (that is to say the area of responsibility of the German Chamber in Shanghai) were invited to submit their applications. A Chinese-German jury carefully evaluated all 39 submitted projects and selected the winners for this year based on criteria such as relevance, creativity, transferability and sustainability.

Among the 15 short-listed finalists, the following companies received an award at the More than a Market Award Gala:

In the category "Small Enterprises (50-500 employees in China)", Krones Machinery (Taicang) Co. Ltd. was chosen for its ongoing Apprentice Training Program. Krones has built an apprenticeship program that offers majors in the areas of mechatronics and cutting.

The company aims to foster a tradition of vocational training in China as a way to guarantee the production of qualified work as well as to further increase employees' loyalty to their company by empowering them and creating a culture of trust. Almost 40 new employees and several interns have been hired since the start of the program in Wuhan. And now that vocational training has begun in Changzhou and Suzhou, many more will be hired in the future.

In the category "Medium Enterprises (500-10,000 employees)", the exemplary engagement of Merck China for its School Water Project was recognized. This project started in 2012 with the goal of providing children in selected primary schools in Shanghai with safe drinking water and raising their awareness of environmental protection measures.

The schools are partially attended by children whose parents are migrant workers. Part of the project is donating drinking water purification facilities and maintaining the facilities at an ongoing basis. To achieve long-term impact, Merck employees voluntarily visit children at the school and teach them about environmental issues as part of the Merck Green Class program.

In addition to ensuring clean drinking water for around 5,500 students and their teachers in six primary schools, the project made it possible for 100 volunteers to educate some 480 students on environmental and sustainability issues within one year.

In the category "Large enterprises (more than 10,000 employees)", Bayer (China) Ltd. received the award for its Bayer China Volunteer Association (BCVA). BCVA offers a platform that allows employees to initiate their own projects. The employees themselves can decide which issues they will focus on in Chinese society.

Moreover, Bayer's employees have the possibility to use their own expertise and skills to optimize the volunteering services. In addition, BCVA has become a credible partner for local non governmental organizations, which respect it for its sustainable input. By the end of November 2015, almost 5,000 employee volunteers had registered to participate in projects focusing on education, environment, poverty alleviation, public health, and community outreach.

Finally, in the category for "Collaborative Projects", which applies to projects initiated by two or more German companies, Taicang Sino-German Handicapped Technology Co. Ltd. was selected. In the project Inclusion Factory Taicang more than 80 partners joined forces to establish a workshop, which is the first institution in China to give meaningful employment to mentally challenged individuals under real market conditions. Productive and dignified work enables them to realize their aspirations, improve their living conditions and participate more actively in society.

By currently employing 14 people with disabilities, the workshop is raising awareness of the capabilities of mentally handicapped individuals in China. The project has become a role model for social inclusion in China.

"Today we celebrate a milestone that showcases the impressive and far-reaching social engagement of German companies in Chinese society" says Simone Pohl, Executive Director and Member of the Board of the German Chamber of Commerce in China/Shanghai. "I congratulate all participating companies on their creativity, passion for and commitment to making China More than a Market for German companies".

The More than a Market initiative aims to catalyze and promote social engagement of German companies operating in China. Launched in 2015 by the German Chamber of Commerce in China/ Shanghai and Bertelsmann Stiftung with strong support from the German Consulate General in Shanghai, the initiative was set up to further strengthen the good standing of German business in China by growing stronger roots in society and creating deeper relationships and partnerships between German and Chinese organizations and people.