LINZ, Austria – A mobile education project, dubbed the “Star Truck,” launched its tour across Upper Austria on Monday, aiming to engage young people with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (MINT) fields. The initiative was formally initiated on the campus of Johannes Kepler University in Linz, with a launch event attended by prominent figures from across Austria’s political and economic landscape.
The Star Truck is a joint effort by the Austrian Chamber of Labour (Arbeiterkammer), the Public Employment Service (AMS), the Federation of Austrian Industries (Industriellenvereinigung), the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer), and the state of Upper Austria. Organizers say the project intends to bring modern technologies and future career paths directly to young people throughout the region.
Among those present at the launch were Austrian Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Minister of Labour and Employment Korinna Schumann, Governor of Upper Austria Thomas Stelzer, AMS Upper Austria Managing Director Iris Schmidt, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Doris Hummer, President of the Austrian Chamber of Labour Andreas Stangl, and President of the Federation of Austrian Industries Thomas Bründl, according to a statement released by ooe.ORF.at.
The “Join MINT” program, under which the Star Truck operates, seeks to make MINT subjects “visible, tangible and attractive,” according to its website. The program is a collaboration between the AMS and the state of Upper Austria. The Star Truck represents the program’s first major initiative, with additional projects planned for the future.
According to a LinkedIn post by Carina Gsandtner, the Star Truck was en route to Linz prior to Monday’s launch. FLAD & FLAD Communication GmbH won a European tender to develop and implement the multi-year project, which will focus on areas such as automation, robotics, artificial intelligence in medicine, and data science. The company is also establishing a new branch in Austria to support the initiative.
The AMS Upper Austria shared on Facebook that a similar “experience-learning truck” originating from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, had arrived in Linz, and students from the Auhof Federal School Center were among the first to experience it.
