Unique excursion to Silicon ValleyStudents from the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Aalen University gain exclusive insights
Exciting insights: Around 25 students were on an excursion to Silicon Valley, which is considered the most important high-tech location in the world. Photo: Aalen University | Alexander Grohmann
After long preparation and planning by Prof. Dr. Alexander Grohmann, an excursion to Silicon Valley was recently realized. Around 25 students from the International Sales Management and Technology and Leadership in Industrial Sales and Technology programs were given the opportunity to travel to the home of countless start-ups and globally active technology companies. The region in the US state of California is considered the most important high-tech location in the world.
The students enjoyed five days full of exciting insights into companies, a visit to the elite Stanford University, and lectures on innovation, start-up culture, artificial intelligence, and the Silicon Valley mindset. "We live in an increasingly fast-changing environment. As a result, our ability to adapt is put to the test every day. Questioning the existing, boldly rethinking and breaking up outdated structures are today's success factors. Nowhere else can you experience how this can work methodically and what kind of mindset is required for this better than in Silicon Valley. I would like to enable our students to experience this through activities like this," says Prof. Alexander Grohmann.
Starting with a visit to the Chamber of International Commerce in San Francisco, the tour continued to Santa Clara County, where visits to the companies Eightfold AI, Denso, Palo Alto Networks, Plug and Play and Trumpf were on the agenda. From innovative start-ups to global market leaders, everything included in the program aided in fully experiencing the special flair of Silicon Valley. "The excursion was definitely a highlight of the master's program. It was highly interesting to get an insight into the working world of Silicon Valley. I particularly remember the visit to Palo Alto Networks - a large company with a start-up atmosphere," Artur Schmal recaps.