16 February 2024
WorldSkills recognizes Festo owners for a lifetime of achievements in skills development
Brothers Dr Wilfried Stoll and Dr h.c. Kurt Stoll were presented with a WorldSkills Lifetime Achievement award and a unique 3D print of the WorldSkills Museum in appreciation for their long-standing partnership.
Dr Heinrich Frontzek, Mrs Elfi Klumpp, Mr Thomas Boeck, Mr Alexander Amiri, Ms Sophie Stoll, Mr Ben Stoll, Dr. Wilfried Stoll, Mr David Hoey, Dr Oliver Niese, Dr Nader Imani, Dr. Theodor Niehaus, Mr Alfons Riek (from left to right).
At an inspiring event at Festo’s headquarters on 9 February 2024, in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany, WorldSkills recognized the company’s owners and brothers Dr Wilfried Stoll and Dr h.c. Kurt Stoll for their lifetime achievements in skills development.
A global leader in automation technology and education, Festo became a WorldSkills partner in 1991 and has provided state-of-the-art learning systems for WorldSkills Competitions around the world ever since. The skill competitions of Mechatronics, Industry 4.0, Water Technology, and Renewable Energy were developed in partnership with Festo and continue to be equipped and updated by the company.
During the ceremony, David Hoey, WorldSkills International CEO, praised Dr Wilfried Stoll and Dr h.c. Kurt Stoll for their sustained commitment to the training and education of young skilled talent.
“Two brothers have spearheaded the international success of Festo and reimagined how we educate people in industry,” said Mr Hoey. “As pioneers in industry, they have shown the kind of business acumen that most other entrepreneurs can only dream of. They understand that people, societies, and economies cannot thrive without skills and have dedicated their careers to finding skills gaps and nurturing the talent to close them.”
Mr Hoey’s tribute to the two brothers mentioned some of the personal stories that led to Festo joining the WorldSkills movement and becoming a long-standing partner. On behalf of the organization, he emphasized the honour it is for WorldSkills to be part of Dr Wilfried Stoll and Dr h.c. Kurt Stoll’s legacy.
He then presented the two brothers with a unique 3D print of the WorldSkills Museum, which opened its doors to the world on 6 November 2023 in Shanghai, China. The Museum is the first dedicated to vocational skills excellence, exploring the past, present, and future of skilled talent.
Festo made several impressive contributions to the WorldSkills Museum, including a futuristic installation illustrating some of the new technologies at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution. The exhibit explores Festo’s work producing new technologies that fuse biological and cyber systems.
Festo was founded in 1925 and is now a third-generation international family business. Festo has set standards in industrial automation technology and technical education ever since its establishment, thereby making a contribution to the sustainable development of the environment, the economy, and society.