12/18/2023
For Matthias Mederer, Project Manager in the Automotive Cluster, it was a very special business trip: together with 21 companies, he traveled to Detroit in October to take part in a special mission: "To inspire the Detroit Automotive Industry with the latest innovations from automotive technology leaders from Belgium, Austria and Germany (Bavaria)". Three intensive days and a full program followed, including visits to Hyundai, Stellantis, Nissan and Ford. A detour to the Wiring Systems Congress, which was taking place at the same time, was a welcome opportunity for Matthias to expand his wiring systems community. And Matthias will remember one very special experience for a long time to come: the visit to the NHL ice hockey game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
As soon as they arrived, the participants from Germany, Belgium and Austria got started: a visit to the Hyunday America Technical Center (HATCI) was on the agenda. There, the guests were invited to a Supplier Innovation Workshop, which was organized especially for the delegation and offered plenty of time for networking and getting to know each other.
A similar program awaited the participants in the afternoon with the automotive group Stellantis, which also invited them to a Supplier Innovation Workshop - with the participation of other companies.
The program for the second day was also impressive: early in the morning, the delegation was welcomed at the Nissan Technical Center North America (NTCNA) for a "Technology Showcase". The European visitors were amazed at the great interest shown by the NTCNA employees, who were present in large numbers. The guests were particularly pleased with the "VIP tour" that NTCNA had organized with the management team! "What a unique opportunity. The business cards just flew," recalls Matthias of the lively discussions during the visit to NTCNA.
NHL Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins
After this impressive day, however, a very special highlight was to follow in the evening: Watching a USA field hockey game live! The home game of the NHL Detroit Red Wings against the Pittsburgh Penguins was an exciting experience and an absolute first for many of the European guests. "The atmosphere in the stadium was really thrilling, even as a non-fan. The Red Wings had also won the game, which made the Detroit fans celebrate even more. A truly unforgettable experience," Matthias enthuses about the exciting game.
Of course, an important OEM could not be missed and so the last day was reserved for a visit to the Ford Dearborn Research & Innovation Center (RIC). Here, too, the schedule was similar to the previous day at Nissan and both employees and management were represented in large numbers.
Before slowly approaching the journey home, Matthias took the opportunity to stop by the parallel Wiring Systems Congress in Detroit and meet important contacts from the wiring systems scene - after all, the topic of "wiring systems" plays a very important role for Matthias, as he himself is responsible for organizing the annual Wiring Systems Congress at Bayern Innovativ and is therefore very well connected with the wiring systems community.
And what happens now? "We're already planning a new mission," says Matthias, almost forgetting the jet lag still lingering in his limbs
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