Photo: Finland: Hands‑on experiments at the Gadolin Lab and a visit to the award‑winning Company Park gave Helsinki students a glimpse into science and everyday life at Borealis.
© Borealis
Developing the skills, curiosity, and critical thinking of our youth is essential to finding sustainable solutions for the environmental and societal challenges we are facing. Education not only empowers innovation but also plays a vital role in enabling access to employment, improving living standards, and integrating underprivileged and marginalized communities into society.
For nearly 20 years, the Borealis Social Fund has been supporting projects that advance sustainability and corporate social responsibility in line with our values. Accordingly, we have defined Growing Talent as one of the Fund’s three key focus areas, alongside Water & Energy and Waste & Resource Efficiency.
Since its inception in 2007, the Borealis Social Fund has created meaningful change, reaching more than two million people through 35 partnerships in ten countries. In 2025, this commitment continued to grow: the program supported 150,000 people through ten projects across five countries, extending opportunities and learning to communities around the world.
The Growing Talent initiative is built on a wide range of projects and partnerships that inspire curiosity, offer practical learning experiences, and create pathways to future careers. Let’s take a look at what 2025 had to offer:
In Linz, Austria, the JKU Open Chemistry Lab, a hands-on discovery laboratory located on the campus of Johannes Kepler University, welcomed a record of more than 5,200 visitors in 2025, hosting 266 interactive workshops that brought chemistry to life. The Plastic Garage, a collaboration with EREMA, invited the community to engage in a hands-on recycling experience and provided education on the challenges and importance of plastics recycling.
In Helsinki, Finland, the Gadolin Open Chemistry Lab involved students in exciting experiments such as creating bubbles from carbon dioxide ice, while the Company Park provided an award-winning miniature city where schoolchildren could explore the daily life of a Borealis employee.
In Gothenburg, Sweden, the Borealis Science Week offered a full week of immersion in the work and life of scientists and researchers.
Photo: Austria: Interactive exhibitions at the ZOOM Children’s Museum provide young children a place for playful education, study, and experience.
© ZOOM Kindermuseum
In Vienna, Austria, the TGM Open Chemistry Lab offered students the opportunity to engage in hands-on experiments and explore future opportunities in technology-related fields. Our annual Borealis Innovation Awards at TGM recognized three diploma theses from TGM students for advancing responsible resource use and pioneering plastic waste treatment solutions. Meanwhile, the ZOOM Children’s Museum offered interactive exhibitions that made complex topics like climate change and plastic sustainability accessible to pre-school-aged audiences, in 2025 with the theme “Art and Play”.
Beyond science education, the Borealis Social Fund also supports social inclusion and provides help in emergency situations.
In Austria, the Borealis MORE Scholarship enabled asylum seekers to continue their academic journeys, helping them integrate into the Austrian labor market. Moreover, through the Borealis Immediate Aid Fund, individuals facing financial hardship received rapid support to avoid losing access to housing, heating, or electricity in times of crisis.
In India, the Karunya Trust supported children of waste pickers, helping them break free from cycles of poverty through education.
In the UAE, the Emirates Foundation nurtured talent and inspired achievement in sustainability and cooperation on a local and global scale.
Photo: India: Education from the Karunya Trust helped children of waste pickers in India build new opportunities for their future.
© Kindernothilfe
Photo: Austria: The plastic garage provides a hands-on recycling experience and facilitates the understanding of the value and challenges of plastics recycling
© Plastic Garage
Reflecting on nearly 20 years of the Borealis Social Fund, we see how our initiatives reach far beyond education. We create opportunities for people to discover their talents, explore future careers, and contribute to real solutions for today’s environmental and societal challenges by inspiring curiosity and open dialogue.
Even in challenging economic conditions, we remain deeply committed to the Borealis Social Fund, confident that it continues to make a meaningful and lasting global impact. In 2026, we continue this journey together with our partners, expanding our reach and supporting a new generation of critical thinkers with a sustainable mindset, helping shape a better future for all.
A detailed description of the projects and partners can be found on the here on our website.
This news is also available in German language.
Photo: Finland: Hands‑on experiments at the Gadolin Lab and a visit to the award‑winning Company Park gave Helsinki students a glimpse into science and everyday life at Borealis.
© Borealis. image. 3.23mb
Photo: Austria: Interactive exhibitions at the ZOOM Children’s Museum provide young children a place for playful education, study, and experience.
© ZOOM Kindermuseum. image. 459kb
Photo: India: Education from the Karunya Trust helped children of waste pickers in India build new opportunities for their future.
© Kindernothilfe. image. 400kb
Photo: Austria: The plastic garage provides a hands-on recycling experience and facilitates the understanding of the value and challenges of plastics recycling
© Plastic Garage. image. 690kb