All the goals of Engineers' Day are highly relevant. Personally, the promotion of young talent is particularly close to my heart. This is a central issue both for us at Zühlke and for Switzerland as a business location and our society as a whole.

Answers from Nicolas Durville about Engineers' Day.

When and in what context did you first hear about Engineers' Day?
I was asked about a year after the founding of Engineers' Day if I would like to participate in the patronage with Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and Barbara Frei-Spreiter. It is an affair of the heart for me and I accepted immediately, in order to contribute something to the promotion of the profession.

This is the third time that Zühlke has been involved in Engineers' Day as a donor. Why are you involved in this event?
For us at Zühlke and also for me personally, it is a great concern to increase the visibility of engineering achievements in public. We are convinced that innovations and technological progress can bring about lasting positive change in our economy and society. This is particularly true in the area of health, as the current crisis impressively demonstrates. It is also very important to us to inspire future generations with enthusiasm for engineering. 

What goal or goals would you highlight as the most important priority in terms of your involvement in Engineers' Day or in everyday life?
All the goals of Engineers' Day have a high relevance. Personally, the promotion of young talent is particularly close to my heart. This is a central issue both for us at Zühlke and for Switzerland as a business location and for our society as a whole. We must succeed even better in getting children, teenagers, and young adults interested in the so-called MINT subjects and engineering professions. I see great potential here, especially among girls and young women.   

Why do you think engineers and their achievements are not perceived enough in everyday life and what can engineers do about it?  
These achievements often happen in the background and yet shape our everyday lives: we all encounter hidden engineering achievements every day: From having coffee in the morning, to checking emails on the train on the way to work, to paying for lunch without contact, to relaxing on the sofa in the evening with a series from a streaming provider. Formats like Engineers' Day help to make the wider public more aware of these achievements. We at Zühlke also want to make our people and their success stories even more visible. Basically, a certain openness and also a healthy self-confidence help in this.  

If you had one wish to be able to influence the promotion of young talent even more, who would it be and what would it be?
Politicians are called upon to set the right priorities in education. The importance of STEM subjects should be strengthened. Switzerland has a great starting position with its dual education system. It is important to make use of this.

Do you have any other wishes in connection with Engineers' Day?
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our planned activities in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. This year, we are particularly pleased that the networking event is to take place at our premises in the JED area in Schlieren on February 17, including celebrities from politics and business. We very much hope that the situation surrounding COVID-19 will not throw a spanner in the works here again.

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