A simple cheek swab, a few minutes of time – and the chance to save someone’s life. That was the message with which Magirus opened its doors at its Premstätten site near Graz, Austria, on 23 July 2026 for a stem cell donor registration drive. Numerous employees from the company, staff from neighbouring businesses and local residents seized the opportunity to register as potential stem cell donors.
A cheek swab that can save lives
The initiative was made possible in partnership with Geben für Leben – Leukaemia Aid Austria, an organisation that actively supports companies in running campaigns of this kind. The figures speak for themselves: every year in Austria alone, hundreds of people are diagnosed with leukaemia or another serious blood disorder. For many of them, a stem cell donation is the only chance of a cure. Statistically, one in every 300 registered donors may one day become a lifesaver for someone in need.
The fact that it is Magirus that has taken this initiative is rooted in the company’s ethos. As an integrated systems provider for fire services and rescue services as well as operators of critical infrastructures, protecting human life lies at the heart of this heritage company. “Our technology protects first responders and members of the public in the most critical moments. But for us, protection does not end at the factory gate. With this donor registration drive, we are demonstrating that social responsibility at Magirus is not just a matter of words – it is lived every day. Every registration today could save a life tomorrow,” says Stephanie Loser, Head of Marketing & Communications at Magirus.
Premstätten as the starting point for an international initiative
The impetus for the initiative came from within Magirus’s own community: when the child of a member of the Styrian fire service fell seriously ill, a stem cell donation was the only hope of recovery. A donor registration drive within the fire service community made exactly that possible: a matching donor was found. For Magirus, whose vehicles and equipment are deployed alongside fire and rescue services every day, that was a direct call to action. The Premstätten drive is just the beginning: comparable initiatives are planned at further sites within the Magirus Group – in close cooperation with local partners and tailored to local circumstances.
