HONG KONG – (April 7, 2019 )INFINITI has announced the launch of the 2019 edition of the renowned INFINITI Engineering Academy, its global search for the top engineering recruits in the world. The 2019 edition marks the sixth consecutive year of the Academy, which will give seven global engineering students the opportunity to work with INFINITI and Renault F1® Team on a unique 12-month paid placement.
Since 2014, the INFINITI Engineering Academy has provided a unique leaping stone for highly motivated engineering students to enter the automotive and motorsport world. Since then, 50 percent of all winners accelerated their careers by securing full-time roles at either INFINITI or in F1® following their placement. With some former winners still finishing their studies, this percentage is set to increase in 2019, as the selection process for new engineers gets underway.
This success is possible thanks to the Alliance, which facilitates a close collaboration between INFINITI and Renault F1® Team. For the 2019 edition, seven global regions will participate – Asia & Oceania, Canada, China, Europe (including Russia), Mexico, the Middle East and the U.S. – each offering one of the seven placements available.
“Recruiting new engineering talent is key for INFINITI and the wider Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance,” said Tommaso Volpe, director Motorsport & Performance Projects, INFINITI Global. “At INFINITI, we believe that human talent is the driving force behind technology, and we constantly strive to keep our talent pool revitalized. The INFINITI Engineering Academy, as a global talent search that successfully mixes multi-culturalism with academic and engineering excellence, helps us do this. It’s no accident that several of the Academy alumni stay at INFINITI, Renault F1 Team or within the Alliance after their placements.”
Having launched the careers of previous winners, the INFINITI Engineering Academy is the most successful technical recruitment initiative of its kind and the only one that offers a placement in both automotive and F1®. One of its key pillars is exploring crossover opportunities and the sharing of technology between INFINITI road car and Renault F1® Team race car projects. With this added depth of knowledge transfer and the enhanced scope for collaboration that the Alliance brings, the INFINITI Engineering Academy will provide an unmatched range of experiences and opportunities to the seven 2019 winners.
“We want to create openings for these young engineers,” said Volpe. “Thanks to our Technical Partnership with Renault F1® Team, the Academy can provide these opportunities and, for our winners, a route into the automotive or F1 industries. As a result, interest in the program has grown exponentially. Almost 30,000 people have registered since the first edition in 2014, and we believe it will keep growing in the future.”
Marcin Budkowski, executive director, Renault F1® Team, also commented: “Attracting top new talent is crucial for success in Formula One™, and the INFINITI Engineering Academy contributes a great deal in that respect. It’s a fantastic initiative that takes recruitment in F1® to a whole new level, and that brings new and diverse thinking to the sport. The INFINITI Academy Engineers bring fresh ideas and different perspectives to the team, which are key to our continued progress.”
This one-of-a-kind global search for the world’s best up-and-coming engineers will provide each of the seven winners with a career opportunity of a lifetime, complete with travel, accommodation, an INFINITI company car, salary and the opportunity to work alongside world-leading engineers at the cutting edge of the automotive and motorsport industries. Applications are open now at academy.infiniti.com.
