M3+ Initiative – Technology for Future

The M3+ Initiative – Technology for Future by the KSB Foundation aims to actively address the decline in first-year students in mechanical engineering in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Since its inception in January 2023, the initiative has adopted a dual approach: a steering committee develops long-term strategies to strengthen STEM competencies, while a school pilot project connects four secondary schools in the Rhine metropolitan region. In this network of foundations, industry, universities, schools, and associations, practical insights are gathered to promote interest in scientific and technical subjects. The collected results are continuously integrated into joint workshops and exchange formats, thereby creating a sustainable foundation for future educational measures.

Eligible for funding are public and private educational institutions participating as pilot schools in the Rhine metropolitan region. The ongoing sponsorship funding allows interested schools to apply and initiate projects at any time. In the long term, a growing network is intended to ensure that the developed methods and materials are also made available to other schools in the area. Thus, the initiative makes an important contribution to securing young talent in mechanical engineering and helps strengthen scientific and technical competencies in the region’s secondary schools.