• Reading time:10 mins read
People working together

HOW NTT LTD. IS EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD IN
RED BULL BASEMENT

Working at NTT, there are plenty of things I’ve seen that inspire me. But watching the students at work in the Red Bull Basement program has to be top of the list.  

NTT is the Official Technical Services Partner for Red Bull Basement, because they share our organization’s belief that grassroots innovation can be a critical spark for social change. Working here has given me a chance to be a part of that.

 Across the globe, I see students take personal ownership for leading positive change in our environment, society and communities. This is entrepreneurial spirit with purpose, and I’m proud to help NTT harness this mindset.

Through Red Bull Basement, NTT is providing students with mentorship, access to expertise and creating a space where they can meet and innovate on their ideas using technology. Personally, I don’t accept the line ‘it’s always been this way’ and I know the students participating in Red Bull Basement don’t either.

 Empowering change

 The most important part of this program is showing students they can make their vision for change a reality.

Working on this project, I get to share success stories with the students and support them to find mentors for their ideas. With this help, students can see a pathway for bringing their concepts to life. The program is global, covering 45 countries, so that students around the world have a chance to lead change and innovation.

I saw this in the NTT Wildcard Winner for 2020, ROBOCEAN. These students had the goal of planting one million seagrass seeds. By participating in Red Bull Basement, they were able to turn this idea into a reality, creating a robot to automate the seed planting.

 As the Official Technology Services Partner, we’re working with NTT Disruption to transport the teams at the Global Final to a virtual reality world where our experts will share their knowledge and expertise. It’s a space that encourages students to expand their thinking and iterate their ideas.

 Fueling an entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation

The biggest piece of advice that propelled my own career forward and unlocked my potential was to not shy away from work that scares you.

By that I don’t only mean hard work, but portions of the job that fill you with white-knuckle terror. You may stumble along the way, but staring down these opportunities and finding your path forward creates personal reward, accomplishment and pride that you never thought possible.

I follow that advice to this day and it’s advice I’d pass on to all young innovators. We hope Red Bull Basement gives students the same confidence to experiment and take on the big challenges that may scare them.

As a large international technology company, I believe NTT has a duty to our employees, clients and society as a whole to make the world more sustainable. Our sustainability ambition is focused on achieving meaningful and measurable impacts on society, economies and the planet.

Find out more about the Red Bull Basement or how you can innovate with a career at NTT.

Christine Barr,
CEO