Annual Report 2020

2020 turned out to be a much more challenging year than anyone could predict on beforehand. The COVID-19 pandemic dominated the world. It caused significant problems in the automotive industry. And still the world did not (re)turn to a stable situation. 

For ACE the challenge was to fulfill our tasks with the possibilities and impossibilities that were offered in the new reality. And the task became even more prominent: ACE is to connect companies and applied universities. And connecting was not any longer possible in the way we were used to. No events where we could meet each other, no drinks, no whatever kind of physical gatherings. We had to re-invent the basics of where we stand for and design that in a new setting. 

As you can read in this annual report, we managed to organize an extended set of activities to even better fulfill our duty. The online editions of the ACE Award and the ACE Automotive Career Day were good examples of how we could organize meetings with a high level of interaction, also if we do meet each other via video screens, laptops, tablets and i-phones. We had to learn how to design such meetings, because it really is another way of communicating, with disadvantages and with new possibilities. Besides such big events, our day by day contact with all our partners could be continued and the output is of a surprising good level. Internships, graduation positions, research initiatives, the TALCOM program and most other goals could well be achieved.