Today started off a little bit later than usual. We were able to get a little bit more time to rest today, which was very much needed. Instead of grabbing breakfast in the hotel lobby like we usually did, we hopped on the bus and headed out of Augsburg to partake in a traditional Bavarian breakfast: Weisswurst. The breakfast includes a traditional Bavarian sausage made from pork and veal, and a pretzel. In order to eat the sausage, you have to remove the meat from its casing, which I surprisingly didn’t struggle with as much as I thought I would. We were also given an array of toppings to put on the pretzel and our choice of drink to wash it all down. As much as I loved our usual hotel breakfast, this was definately a nice change of pace. It was also a good learning and tasting experience.

We eventually made our way back to the hotel to change into our more professional clothing. Today would be our fourth company visit to Faurecia. We started out our visit being suited up into lab coats, protective shoes, and protective glasses. This gave us the immediate indication that the company cares greatly about safety. We would then be taken to a seating area where we would be greeted with gifts. We would be taken on a tour of their production facilities, given lunch, and then be shown multiple power points about their strategies and productions. What interested me most about the company, is the investment in the hydrogen fuel cell market. While we currently see many automotive brands working towards a future dominated by electric vehicles, Faurecia seems to be working against the grain in terms of market trends. Later on when we had our final presentations for the companies, this problem was brought up to the Faurecia group. Dr. Feick had a hypothesis about their strategy that I thought was interesting. He stated that Faurecia is probably trying to become the main player in a smaller market, rather than compete with many players in a big market. I appreciated this company visit because it was interesting to see a company trying to do something different in the industry.