From video games to mini robots: young people are conquering technology

During the five-day #DigitalDays 2024 holiday programme at the Plansee Group in Reutte, the 25 boys and girls who took part not only put their engineering skills to the test.

During the five-day #DigitalDays 2024 holiday programme at the Plansee Group in Reutte, the 25 boys and girls who took part not only put their engineering skills to the test: They also worked as video game developers, 3D designers and robot designers.

The Plansee Group has been organising the #DigitalDays in Reutte for six years. This year saw a premiere: Werkhaus Reutte, a non-profit workshop for modern technologies, was involved as a partner for the first time. The free holiday programme, which encourages digital curiosity and a spirit of discovery, once again attracted numerous young people from the Außerfern and Allgäu regions this year. The participants immersed themselves in digital worlds and gained insights behind the scenes at the Plansee Group. In addition to a guided tour of the training centre and the 3D printers at Plansee HPM, two apprentices presented their professions to the children on each of the three days.

Technology at first hand

At the final event in the presence of the proud families, the participants presented what they had learnt and created over the last few days at various stations. In the 35 hours of the holiday programme, they became true experts: they developed and designed their own video games, created figures with the 3D printer, programmed a self-built toothbrush robot that could complete a course on its own, as well as a small traffic light and printed bags using a cutting plotter. As a prize for the best answer to a guessing question, the two winners each received a special memento: a Plansee Group globe, one made of tungsten and the other of molybdenum.

In his opening speech, Karlheinz Wex, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Plansee Group, emphasised the great importance of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics): "Children should be able to develop their curiosity for this subject as early as possible, which is unfortunately often neglected in schools and kindergartens. It is therefore a pleasure for me to be here every year and to see what the participants present at the end of the week."

The Werkhaus Reutte regularly organises open workshops for children and young people, who can use 3D printers, plotters and other equipment. Thanks to a special voucher from the Plansee Group and the Werkhaus, participants in the holiday programme can now take advantage of this offer eight times free of charge.

The children not only went home with certificates and a gift bag, but also with countless exciting impressions and new skills that may motivate one or the other to take up a technical or digital profession.

A big thank you to the organizers and all those involved and helping out from the various departments. Without your support, this holiday program would not have been possible!

Photos: Lisa Immler

Media contact

Dénes Széchényi
Head of Group Communications
Nr. +43-5672-600-2243
Mobile +43-664-81 52 598
denes.szechenyi@plansee-group.com

About the Plansee Group: Focus on Molybdenum and Tungsten

With its products, the Plansee Group enables applications at the cutting edge of what is technically and physically feasible – in electronics, medical technology, energy supply, mechanical engineering, the construction industry, mobility, and security and defense.

Headquartered in Reutte, Tyrol, the group specializes in the powder metallurgical processing of the high-performance materials molybdenum and tungsten. The value chain extends from the processing of scrap and ore concentrates through the manufacture of intermediate products and blanks to the development and production of customer-specific components and tools.

The Plansee Group, with its parent company Plansee Holding AG, unites two strong business areas:
· Plansee High-Performance Materials, specializing in metallic products made of molybdenum and tungsten.
· Ceratizit, focused on tools made of hard metal (tungsten carbide) for the trades, machining, and industrial manufacturing.

The Plansee Group ensures long-term security of supply for its key materials through recycling and long-term partnerships with mining operators. The Plansee Group holds a 31 percent stake in the Chilean molybdenum processor Molymet and a 10 percent stake in the tungsten mining operator Almonty.

With 11,120 employees at 36 production sites, the Plansee Group generated consolidated revenue of 2.35 billion euros in fiscal year 2025/26. The fiscal year ends on the last day of February.