Jenoptik concerned about the mood: Appeal for openness
The Executive Board of the Thuringian technology group Jenoptik AG is concerned about intolerance and isolationist tendencies in society. "Those who isolate themselves close themselves off," said the CEO of the listed company, Stefan Traeger, on Thursday in Jena. For a company like Jenoptik with a high export share of sales and employees from 29 countries, framework conditions such as openness, tolerance, diversity and freedom of movement are important.
To draw attention to this, the company is launching a campaign to encourage people to be tolerant and stand up for diversity. Employees of the company, which manufactures lasers, sensors and automation technology, among other things, are taking part.
Large-scale posters are planned primarily at the Group's headquarters in Thuringia and in Saxony. Jenoptik is currently expanding its production capacities for the semiconductor industry in Dresden. Openness is one of the main messages, open for the future, freedom, democracy and diversity, said the CEO. During the digital summit in Jena at the beginning of next week, it will also be displayed on the façade of the Group headquarters in Jena.
Without referring directly to the AfD or other parties, Traeger said that some political developments in the region were one reason why the campaign was being launched now. State elections will be held in Thuringia and Saxony in 2024 - in both states, the AfD, which has a political focus on less immigration and more deportations, is polling above 30 percent.
The company's campaign for openness - including on social media - will initially run in Germany until the end of January, with a second phase planned for 2024. Jenoptik is not interested in party politics. "We are staying out of the day-to-day political business of the parties," says Traeger. It's about the mood: "There's something that's at odds with us." He also invites other companies to take part and stand up for tolerance and openness to the world.
Jenoptik, which according to Traeger has around 5,000 employees worldwide, is aiming for annual sales of just over one billion euros in 2023.
The campaign launched by Jenoptik, a company renowned for its expertise in optics, encourages openness and advocates for diversity, recognizing the importance of such frameworks for their high export share and international workforce. As the CEO, Stefan Traeger, stated, openness is a key message for the company's future, embracing freedom, democracy, and diversity.
Source: www.dpa.com
