We made up for yesterday’s early morning departure with a late start today. Sophia joined us in the lobby just around noon to lead today’s adventures which began with a quick metro ride across the city. From there, a brief walk delivered us to our destination where we were able to see the world’s first ever 3D printed metal bridge. The design was installed in 2021 after a lengthy development by the Netherlands based company, MX3D. Having researched this particular company and their work with my small group prior to the trip, it was neat to see this revolutionary structure in person. 

In a sort of full circle moment, we then had the opportunity to visit the actual office space of MX3D and sit in on a presentation from Pierre Freneau, a junior business developer at the company. He was extremely knowledgeable and was able to provide us with further details about the bridge as well as the everyday production of the company, their software development, and some additional designs that they have produced for customers around the world. Concerning the particular bridge that we visited, Pierre noted that there are sensors installed throughout the design that are constantly collecting data. Although these statistics are not actively being used by the company for any sort of surveillance or monitoring purposes, MX3D anticipates making use of these in the future for the development of more optimized structures. Pierre said the company currently employs thirty-one individuals, only about a third of whom physically work in the office. This is due to the fact that much of the company’s focus goes towards developing the software they use to operate their large and technologically advanced printing machinery, which can be done almost entirely online by IT professionals. This modern switch to working largely from home is not unique to MX3D, but certainly matches the innovative nature of the company. 

From here we made our way to lunch, but not before taking a detour which resulted in us following a path through the muddy woods and past an industrial warehouse center, due to nearby construction. Although we got a little muddied up and lost along the way, it was genuinely a highlight of the day for me. I have found throughout the past few days and through traveling in general that it is always these small moments centered around connection that I enjoy most. Each of us embarked on the journey hungry and tired, but ultimately came out of the woods laughing together. Although cheesy, I think this is a lesson in teamwork and persisting along the difficult path in pursuit of the end goal, which in this case just happened to be a well-deserved lunch.