Since the outbreak of the war, the twin cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm have shown strong support for Ukraine. Weekly vigils have been held since February, and both municipalities have continued to support refugees by providing accommodation and integration initiatives, as well as a wide range of community-led assistance programmes. Numerous civil society organisations have supported these efforts, with special attention given to helping displaced women and children. Furthermore, Ulm and Neu-Ulm established a solidarity partnership with the Ukrainian city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi earlier this year. As part of this partnership, a Ukrainian delegation is currently visiting the region.
A highlight of the visit will be the symbolic handover of three articulated buses donated by SWU. As part of its regular fleet renewal programme, SWU replaced three vehicles, which were then made available for sale. Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA, a long-standing partner of SWU Verkehr, refurbished the transmissions of two of the buses free of charge, restoring them for continued use.
Klaus Eder, Managing Director of SWU Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH, commented, 'Donating these buses to Ukraine is a meaningful way of supporting mobility and improving living conditions for people in the country.' Ralf Gummersbach, Managing Director of SWU Verkehr GmbH, added, 'We are proud to have refurbished these three vehicles together with Voith and to put them to good use through this initiative.'
Thomas Sautter, Senior Vice President DACH, Eastern Europe, Turkey & CIS at Voith Turbo, said, 'As a long-standing partner of SWU Verkehr, we are delighted to support this outstanding project. Repairing the faulty transmissions was a natural contribution for us. We are convinced that the buses will provide valuable support to people in Ukraine.'
The Danube Office played a key role in coordinating the initiative. In collaboration with the Association of Municipal Companies (VKU) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), it is organising the transportation and handover of the vehicles and remaining donated goods to Ukraine. Sebastian Rihm emphasised, “The donation of these buses is an excellent example of international solidarity and cooperation. We would like to sincerely thank SWU, Voith, and the logistics companies Seifert and Noerpel for their generous support.”
The two major Ulm-based logistics providers, Noerpel and Seifert, also quickly joined the initiative, contributing a combined donation of €10,000.
Axel Frey, CEO of the Seifert Logistics Group, said, 'Together with Noerpel and the city of Ulm, we stand for a united Europe. We are therefore particularly pleased to support the city’s project with financial resources and our logistics expertise.'
Judith Noerpel-Schneider, a member of the Noerpel Group management team, added, 'We achieve the greatest impact when we work together, which is reflected in our guiding principle, "Together Forward". As a family-owned company with strong regional roots, it was clear to us that we would stand alongside the city and Seifert to support people in need in our Ukrainian partner city.’
Further donations of municipal equipment, including a refuse collection vehicle, a road roller, compressors, and other municipal vehicles, will be transported to Ukraine throughout the year. Special thanks go to the municipal works departments of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, as well as VKU and GIZ, for their practical organisational and financial support.