Design a greener future with Kapsch!

Anna Alexandra Ress, Trainee since October 2021 , Kapsch TrafficCom

Towards the end of my Master's studies in International Management, like many others I was thinking a lot about the question: "Where do I want to start my professional career?"

In this context, two things were immediately clear to me: I definitely want to work in an international environment, as the resulting diversity and the intercultural exchange have always fascinated me. And secondly, I definitely want to work on something where I can make a difference and support society in its fight against the major problems of our time.

A few months before I graduated, I came across the Graduate Trainee Program at Kapsch TrafficCom. When I researched the company in more detail, I was particularly impressed by Kapsch's vision of using its products to make the world a healthier and greener place. I was also fascinated by the idea of being involved in technological innovations that could have a decisive impact on the way we live together. It was immediately clear to me that this was something I wanted to work on. In combination with the international presence of the company and the diversity within the company, the setting immediately caught my attention. When I actually got the chance to become part of the Kapsch Graduate Trainee Program, I was of course extremely excited and happy.

After I was able to build up helpful knowledge about the solutions offered by Kapsch TrafficCom in my first station in Product Management, it was clear to me relatively quickly that I would like to work in the department that decisively drives the green transformation that is happening within and originates from the company. Therefore, I decided to do my second station in the Environmental Sustainability department. The experience in this team was very enriching for me, as I got to know Kapsch's sustainability efforts from many perspectives.

On the one hand, we worked on quantifying the savings potential of our solutions to illustrate the need for a transformation in road traffic to our customers with the help of a wide variety of measures. On the other hand, we also worked on a wide range of measures to continuously reduce Kapsch TrafficCom's carbon footprint. A major focus lies here on reducing the CO₂ footprint of individual products. I was even given the opportunity to independently coordinate a project on the topic of circular economy related to our best-selling hardware product. This task was very interesting and instructive because, on the one hand, I was able to work with colleagues from various departments and, in some cases even from different countries, to define the requirements for this project and, on the other hand, I was given a lot of trust by my supervisor and colleagues and was thus able to contribute many of my own ideas and had a lot of leeway to help shape the project.

Looking back, I can say that the decision to apply at Kapsch TrafficCom as a trainee was exactly the right one for me. During my time here so far, I've already been able to gain so many valuable and exciting experiences and have been able to work in a wide range of different areas and develop myself further. And the best part for me is that I get the chance to help make road traffic more sustainable in the future!