Festo and WorldSkills build on their partnership

On the last day of the 48th WorldSkills Competition, Festo, the global specialist in smart manufacturing, publicly signed a Letter of Intent with WorldSkills International to upskill learners and trainers, and to develop and deliver further TVET capacity building.

After the signing ceremony, Dr Wilfried Stoll, Managing Partner at Festo Holding, said, “Our Letter of Intent for capacity building and certification programmes will further strengthen our partnership and take our cooperation on an important and promising step forward. Festo is fully committed to assisting in the shared goal to develop and contribute to the advancement of skills worldwide.”

David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, said, “The whole WorldSkills community is grateful for Festo’s support. The Letter of Intent we have signed reinforces our commitment to each other. Strong strategic partnerships, like this one, are going to be vital to help us achieve Vision 2035 and, together, develop the solutions that can advance skills worldwide.”

David Hoey and Alexander Amiri, Director of Sponsorship and Partnership, signed for WorldSkills International. Nicola Bauer, CEO of Festo Didactic, and Oliver Niese, CIO and CIAO of Festo SE, signed for Festo, in the presence of Dr Stoll.

The letter builds on more than three decades of collaboration and outlines a shared ambition to help more training systems around the world develop the skilled people that modern industry needs. Festo’s long partnership with WorldSkills reached a new level in 2025, when it became a Global Premium Partner. WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 was its first Competition in that role.

Festo’s commitment was visible across the Competition, where it contributed to six skill competitions: Industrial Control, Industrial Mechanics, Industry 4.0, Mechatronics, Renewable Energy, and Water Technology. In each of these, Competitors and Experts worked on equipment and training systems supplied by Festo.

At the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Expo, Festo’s interactive stand let young visitors explore industrial automation. Elfi Klumpp, Head of Partnership Development, Global Education at Festo Didactic, said, “WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 gave young people the chance to imagine their future. At Festo’s Try-a-Skill area, visitors were able to experience how technology, creativity, and practical skills come together to solve real-world challenges. We wanted every visitor to leave curious and thinking, ‘I could do this too’.”

Festo’s contribution extended to WorldSkills Conference 2026, held alongside the Competition under the theme “Shaping a Skills-Driven Future”. Ms Bauer spoke about ways to design and maintain more sustainable skills systems, while Mr Niese shared his views on the impact of AI on tomorrow’s workforce. During his panel session, he reflected, “For me, AI is a promise for the future and an integral part of solving industrial challenges. Education must equip people to navigate significant change with good decision-making, creativity and responsibility.”

Festo also took part in the Skills CoLab, a new format introduced in Shanghai. It was one of 30 organizations selected to present a project or programme that demonstrated best practice in skills development. Festo and Tsinghua University shared how they are collaborating to make industrial AI and digitalization more accessible, equitable, and human-centred across TVET and higher education systems worldwide.

Looking back on the event, Dr Stoll said it showed WorldSkills growing in reach and ambition: “It was inspiring to witness the continued growth of WorldSkills International and to see how powerfully the WorldSkills movement promotes skills and excellence in education as essential drivers of sustainable industries and economic development in our rapidly changing world. Festo is proud to stand alongside WorldSkills and looks forward with confidence and enthusiasm to further strengthening our partnership and shaping the future of skills development together.”

Find out more about Festo and its partnership with WorldSkills.