Alumni Professors of Manufacturing Study Trip to Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe

July 2007

In July of 2007, the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing at Stanford University (AIM) will be conducting a 10-day Manufacturing Study Tour of Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe.  The participants in the trip will include PhD alumni from Stanford University as well as a number of Stanford faculty.

The Manufacturing Study Trip program seeks to understand and experience the current manufacturing environment in various parts of the world. In 2005, the first study tour was conducted, to China.  After that successful experience, AIM sought out the most logical location for the next trip.

Central and Eastern Europe are currently experiencing a rebirth of manufacturing, as more producers of consumer goods see the market potential of eased trade barriers in the EU and stronger currencies.  Countries such as Germany, Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland have expanded their manufacturing workforces.  At the same time, the continued concerned over sustainability has made the operations in these countries the world’s top innovators in environmental and social sustainability.

The alumni on this program all teach at various research universities and colleges across the US, as well as in Canada and England.  Some of them are junior faculty, some are senior tenured faculty.  All are enthusiastic about learning more about the manufacturing climate in Europe, and are eager to learn about the experiences of those directly involved in manufacturing.

The trip will take place from July 20th through August 2nd, 2007.  The trip will begin in Stockholm, Sweden, and then move south through Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.  AIM is currently in negotiations to visit the manufacturing facilities of Opel, Nokia, ABB, BMW, and Wacker.  Representatives from other manufacturers with operations in these countries are encouraged to contact AIM via email at aim-info@stanford.edu or by phone at 650-723-9038.

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