PALFINGER: Support for Tomorrow's Researchers with “Spürnasen Primary”

09.03.2023

Discovering Science, Technology, Engineering and Math the fun way — in own “Spürnasen Corners”. Following up the project in kindergartens, this successful concept is now also being tried out at primary schools in the Salzburg region. PALFINGER is helping to implement this future-focused project.

Learning, researching and discovering the fascinating world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in a fun way — that is what the Spürnasen Primary project offers pupils at six elementary schools in Salzburg. It promotes a focused interest and understanding of this content with future potential at an early stage. PALFINGER is now also helping to equip the Bergheim elementary school with the Spürnasen Primary package. The innovative technology and mechanical engineering company has been working for years to promote young STEM talents at an early stage in kindergartens and elementary schools: “As a technology company, we see it as our responsibility to actively promote young technical talents. Children are born researchers. The ‘Spürnasen’ corners use their natural curiosity for knowledge and make an important contribution to dispensing with traditional roles at an early stage of development. It is important to address the shortage of skilled workers as soon as possible and, by supporting young researchers, PALFINGER is making a contribution to the future. We are proud to be part of this extraordinary project,” says Hannes Gruber, Head of HR Global Headquarters, PALFINGER AG.

Spürnasen Primary: from robotics to augmented reality

In the long term, the project is intended to build a continuous STEM bridge from kindergarten to high school. The foundation for this has already been laid: In one hundred kindergartens in Salzburg, children have been playfully discovering science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the “Spürnasen” corners for around 13 years. Spürnasen Primary sees this didactic concept being introduced to six pilot elementary schools in Mittersill, Eugendorf, Köstendorf, Bürmoos, Golling and Bergheim.

“The Salzburg Chamber of Commerce has given the go-ahead for the Spürnasen Primary project. The Salzburg region supports the Spürnasen in kindergartens and the follow-up Primary project,” explains Regional Counsellor Daniela Gutschi. “The Spürnasen corners have proved their worth in elementary education and are very well received by children and teachers. We want to make the STEM focus a hands-on experience in all areas of education. The logical next step was for the system to be adapted for primary grades and tested at pilot schools,” says Counsellor Gutschi: “From autumn, we will also have ten STEM secondary schools, more than any other Austrian province. There are also 70 schools in the Salzburg region with a STEM seal of quality, 14% of all schools throughout Austria. We can therefore claim that we are the No. 1 STEM region!”

Spürnasen Primary is being launched in the six municipalities that have also been home to STEM middle schools since the beginning of the 2022/2023 school year. “We are the first province in Austria to specifically initiate continuous STEM education from kindergartens through primary schools to middle schools. Our goal is comprehensive and consistent STEM education from kindergarten to middle school and, medium term, also in high school to university,” says Gutschi.

Spürnasen Primary is all about the future: The researchers of tomorrow magnify, measure, analyze and focus on topics such as robotics and augmented reality. Accompanied by specially trained teachers and modern teaching materials, as well as a Spürnasen app developed by the HTL technical college in Salzburg, students discover the urge to find technical solutions, apply computational thinking and use networked learning. The result is closing the STEM knowledge gap bit by bit.

For more information visit:
https://www.spuernasenecke.com

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ABOUT PALFINGER AG

PALFINGER is an international technology and mechanical engineering company and the world’s leading producer and provider of innovative crane and lifting solutions. With around 12,700 employees (without contract workers), 30 manufacturing sites and a worldwide sales and service network of around 5,000 service points, PALFINGER creates added value from the challenges of its customers. PALFINGER is consistently continuing on its course as a provider of innovative, complete solutions that deliver increased efficiency and better operability, while leveraging the potential of digitalization along the entire production and value chain.

PALFINGER AG has been listed on the Vienna stock exchange since 1999, and in 2023 achieved record revenue of EUR 2.45 billion.

QUERIES TO

Katja Pötsch | Head of Public Relations & Executive Communication | PALFINGER AG
M +43 664 889 69 065 | k.poetsch@palfinger.com