(left to right): Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO, Marcus A. Wassenberg, CFO and Labour Director and Prof. Rupert Felder, Head of Human Resources at Heidelberg, together with young Heidelberg employees from the company's own training programme, are delighted about the award from the business magazine Stern.

• Study in collaboration with Territory Embrace ranked digital positioning in key areas as the most important criterion
• In well-positioned companies, digital transformation is a top priority
• Digital transformation in vocational training at Heidelberg a decisive factor in the ranking

Issue 38 of the business magazine Stern saw the publication of a study in collaboration with the Hamburg employer branding agency Territory Embrace on “Germany’s companies with a future.” Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) achieved five stars – the highest score possible. The study centered around the question of how well prepared the companies surveyed are for the challenges of digital transformation, especially against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the large company category (over 2,500 employees), Heidelberg came out with five of a possible five stars in the study’s overall assessment, making it one of Germany’s companies with a future. The scores reveal that the companies that did best are those that have made the topic of digital transformation a top priority and, at the same time, successfully merged tradition and digitization.

“Heidelberg’s successful and continuing digital transformation is bearing more and more fruit. Its anchoring in the key business areas is paying off, and this has now also been backed up by this objective assessment by a prestigious institution,” says Rainer Hundsdörfer, Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberg. “This underscores that the transformation is underway. Heidelberg is on course to a digital future!”

Heidelberg brings the digital transformation to vocational training
By adding digital skills to the new training content, the company is bringing innovation to the factory. Augmented reality, new manufacturing methods, and the targeted use of artificial intelligence are also laying the foundation for a future-proof shop floor.

"A major contribution to the good ranking in the Stern study was made by the set-up of Heidelberg's vocational training, which has already won many awards," says Marcus A. Wassenberg, CFO and Labour Director at Heidelberg. "New job profiles, modified training content and an early emphasis on the necessary competencies optimally prepare our junior staff for the increasingly digitized world of work. It is thus a decisive key to the successful future of our company."

He continues that the news of the award from “Stern” will be received with joy by the workforce, but also a certain amount of pride since it recognizes the internal efforts to actively prepare for the future and the work done on key competencies to ensure the company is well positioned.

Another area where action is needed in terms of personnel strategy is demographic change. Heidelberg is well positioned for the future here too, with its health management systems and preventative offerings.

In total, the study involved around 160 companies answering 60 questions, divided into three key areas: “Strategy and Significance,” “Processes and Products,”, and “Innovation and Qualification.” Each area was equal in value with 33 points, and the results for each were converted on a scale from one to five points. The overall result was calculated as the average of the three scores.