We have completed all of our company visits!!!

It was a very packed week with 3 company visits in 3 consecutive days.

We started with Eurocopter. Our bus was a bit late, so we were a little late arriving to Eurocopter; however, once we arrived we got a great presentation with multiple questions from students, a very informative tour of the production floor, and Eurocopter even treated us to lunch. Eurocopter is the leader in civil helicopter production and is working very hard to remain number one in that sector. Eurocopter has not been hit as hard by the economic downturn, but it still has to work to maintain its customer relations and increase sales.

Riegele was a highlight for the students. We went through the entire facility and were exposed to extreme temperatures both hot and cold, but the students were right with our guide asking questions the whole time and we were rewarded with a great dinner at the end of the tour.

We completed our company visits this morning at Fujitsu facility in Augsburg. We got a great presentation on Lead Users and the advantages of open innovation. Fujitsu is making the push to think on a global level but be able to serve its customers locally. The students were also able to tours the production facilities as well as the lab testing facilities. Fujitsu also treated us to a very nice lunch.

The students are working to put together 15 to 20 minute presentations in cooperation with the German students they have been working with throughout our two weeks in Germany.

We are all looking forward to their presentations, which will provide the basis for their final papers and presentations back in Pittsburgh in September.