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IFIA Magazine March 2025

IFIA-DEV
cooperation - diplomacy of short distances

German Inventors Association (DEV) – actively

connecting peoples with IFIA

In a very turbulent and above all politically
very tense situation worldwide, IFIA-Director
Winfried Sturm says it is more important to do
something on a small scale than to talk about
it on a large scale. It is very important to bring
young inventors around the world into contact
with one another, to get them interested in
STEM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering
Mathematics), to encourage their creativity
and to show a way how visionary ideas can be
turned into innovative developments.

What began as an inconspicuous little plant over 20 years ago as the first international youth
contact between the inventor institutions KIPA in South Korea and the DEV-KIT youth initiative
in Germany has developed into a dazzling plant with fruitful cooperation with numerous
international youth inventor institutions.

All this could only be made possible by the tireless commitment of DEV-KIT initiator Hans-Georg
Torkel in the national field and worldwide by Winfried Sturm as an international STEM ambassador.
Special thanks and recognition are due to the recently deceased closed friend, maker, visionary
and initiator Hans-Georg Torkel.

From the very beginning of the fruitful cooperation of the DEV-KIT project with the youth section
of IFIA, the support of IFIA President Alireza Rastegar should be emphasized, which has made
close cooperation and worldwide networking of young inventors possible.
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