Immersion in the Bay Area | MBA Marketing & Sales and MBA Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Students of the MBA Entrepreneurship & Innovation and of the MBA Strategic Marketing & Sales embarked on an International Immersion in the vibrant city of San Francisco, USA. Throughout the Immersion, students dove deep into the world of product innovation and product design and discovered the strategies and insights that drive successful product development in today's dynamic business landscape. There is no better place to experience the technology driven entrepreneurship than Silicon Valley, with its global tech companies and pioneers of AI and automation. Besides top-notch academic input from the Stanford Faculty Club, the International Immersion contained several guest talks, workshops and company visits to a range of established firms on the forefront of their respective industries. Our MBA students got a deeper understanding of product innovation, product design and strategic foresight. Furthermore, they gained valuable insights into AI and its role for future business and innovations in the field of quantum technology and sustainable food. Last but not least, the students were able to enjoy the unique facets of the city in their leisure time and grow together as a cohort.

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Right at the beginning of the International Immersion in San Francisco, Robert E. Siegel from the Stanford Graduate School of Business gave engaging lessons on product innovation and product design. The academic input of this Immersion was rounded by an exclusive campus tour at Stanford led by Jeff Cabili, who provided unique insights into the university's vibrant atmosphere, rich history and amazing campus.

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^{Part of the International Immersion: an exclusive tour at Stanford}

The company visits on this International Immersion were a genuine marathon of exploration. Tech giants including Tesla, Infineon Technologies, SAP, Meta Reality Labs or Plug & Play Tech Center, welcomed the students into the world of innovation and technology.

Additionally, the students had the privilege of attending inspiring keynotes at NetApp, featuring Milan Vasilevski, Ryan Cartwright, Edith Bendermacher, Emily Miller and Julie Xiu.

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^{Company visit at Meta}

Another highlight of the International Immersion was the participation in the thought-provoking Strategic Foresight Workshop, led by Allison Duettmann from the Foresight Institute. Learning about strategic foresight, how to anticipate and better prepare for changing circumstances and its implications for product innovation and product design, left the students with new ideas and tools to incorporate into their future projects.

The last day of the International Immersion was nothing short of extraordinary, featuring captivating keynotes and insightful panel discussions that delved into the forefront of innovation and emerging trends. The speakers shed light on topics that are shapign the future of industries worldwide. Mario Herger, Neal Hansch and Amélie-Sophie Vavrovsky talked about AI and did not shy away from asking the question: is it our last invention? Jenner Balagot took another view on innovation, more precice on how innovation happens in the Silicon Valley, while Florian Neukart opened up the world of quantum technology for our students. Patricia Bubner added interesting inputs on the topic of sustainable food.

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^{Experts gave valuable insights into a wide range of topics.}

Besides all the academic input, company visits and expert talks, there was plenty of time for our students to explore the Bay Area of San Francisco, get to know the city and enjoy the American Way of Life. The cozy final highlight of the International Immersion was the Farewell Sunset Bay Cruise, where students were also able to lend a hand themselves aat sailing, or just enjoy the view.

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^{San Francisco from a different perspective: a spectacular boat cruise in the Bay Area.}