Germany: STEM
Program includes
- Roundtrip Airfare
- 8 Nights of 3* Hotel Accommodation
- All Ground Transportation
- Daily Continental Breakfast
- Welcome & Farewell Dinners
- Travelers Insurance
- Historical & Cultural Walking Tours
- Full Time Guide & Assistance
Program highlights
- 5 Business Visits
- Munich-Riem
- Trade Fair Munich
- Geothermal Plant
- New University Library
- Vauban District
- Heliotrop (Visit from outside)
- Solar Housing Estate – Sonnenschiff
- Black Forest Community
Itinerary
Day 1 – Departure
- Depart Home for Munich, Germany
Day 2 – Munich
- Arrive in Munich, Germany
- Airport Transfer – Private Bus
- Check-in, Relax & Refresh
- Orientation Tour – The group will become oriented with their neighborhood, the public transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc.
- Welcome Dinner – The group will be taken for an authentic dinner with a variety of menu options to cater all diets.
Day 3 – Munich
- Breakfast & Day Briefing
- Munich Historical & Cultural Walking Tour – Karl’s Square, Citizen’s Hall Church, Richard Strauss Fountain, St. Michael’s Church, Asamhof Passage Sendlinger Gate, Rindermarkt, Old Town Hall and more…
- Lunch Break
- Business Visit 1 – BMW Factory, Plant & Museum – Located in the north of Munich in the immediate vicinity of the Group headquarters, the BMW Museum and BMW Welt has approximately 7,700 employees from over 50 countries on site, 850 of whom are trainees. Every day, around 950 automobiles and more than 3,000 engines are manufactured here.
Day 4 – Munich
- Breakfast & Day Briefing – Transfer via Private Bus
- Munich-Riem – Vehicle-less Residential Developments – Since 2012, on the site of the former airport, some 7,000 apartments for 16,000 residents were built in five consecutive construction stages. Also on the site are Munich’s new convention center, as well as trade and service enterprises, kindergartens, a school, church, and landscaped park that hosted the 2005 Federal Garden Show.
- Trade Fair Munich Visit – In 1997 the first PV system was installed with a capacity of 1 MWp. In 2002, a solar system came with an area of 63,000 m2 to 6 further exhibition halls. Today the total capacity is 2.1 MWp.
- Lunch Break
- Geothermal Plant – Water with a temperature of 122 degrees Celsius was found after drilling to a depth of 3300 meters. Its steam runs a generator, producing electricity for 10,000 households. After building the district heating network, 70 MW of heat can be delivered to the households. The whole project is estimated to cost 36 million Euros which will pay for drilling two shafts about two km apart from each other, a power generation facility, and laying pipes for the district heating network.
- Structured Free Time & Cultural Immersion
Day 5 – Munich/Freiburg
- Breakfast & Day Briefing
- Train Transfer to Freiburg (approx. 4.5 hours)
- Check-in & Refresh
- Lunch Break
- Introduction to Sustainable Development
- Orientation Tour – The group will become oriented with their neighborhood, the public transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc.
Day 6 – Freiburg
- Breakfast & Day Briefing
- Historical & Cultural Walking Tour of Freiburg –
- The historical town of Freiburg was largely destroyed in the World War II. Due to the reconstruction of complexes and the establishment of the pedestrian zone, the heart of Freiburg is today an attractive and vibrant centre. Current projects, such as a new tramway line and the extension of the pedestrian zone, set up the course for the future.
- Oberlinden: Visit to the medieval city centre, Konviktstraße: Refurbishment of the old town during the 1970s, Organization and enlargement of the pedestrian area, Tram network in Freiburg since 1901 and Parking management
- New University Library
- Business Visit 2 – Eco-Hotel Victoria – Since more than 30 years the owner family is working on a carbon-neutral hotel. Solar thermal collectors, solar modules, and two small wind turbines on the roof garden, energy and water saving measures, a heating plant using wood pellets and a ground water cooling system are some technical elements of the concept. But the approach goes far beyond these technical aspects.
Day 7 – Freiburg
- Breakfast & Day Briefing – Transfer via Private Bus
- Business Visit 3 – Schmalz – The company was founded in 1910 as a razor blade factory in the Black Forest. Over the years, the production program changed from razor blades to transport devices to vacuum components, vacuum handling systems, vacuum gripping systems and clamping systems. The company generates almost as much energy from renewable sources as it uses itself. At the same time, Schmalz generates a positive CO2 balance through resource-efficient production processes and thus relieves the environment. Presentation of the company with focus on their sustainability strategy.
- Lunch Break
- Business Visit 4 – DEGERenergie GmbH – DEGER is the leading manufacturer with the world’s largest product portfolio for single and dual-axis solar tracking systems. The company’s market position is based on the unique, patented “Maximum Light Detection” or MLD technology. The MLD-sensor constantly aligns the connected solar modules to the point that provides the greatest energy and achieves a 45% greater yield on average than fixed systems. With more than 100,000 projects implemented in more than 64 countries, DEGER is the world’s market and technology leader for solar tracking systems.
Day 8 – Freiburg
- Breakfast & Day Briefing
- Business Visit 5 – SICK AG – The company’s sustainability strategy is formed by an environmental and energy management system that has been firmly established within the company for a number of years. SICK publishes an annual environmental statement in accordance with the EMAS standard, which uses core indicators to provide information about all relevant environmental impacts and the environmental objectives derived from them.
- Lunch Break
- Vauban District – Vauban is a former military barrack that was built in 1938. Since the 1990s it has been converted into a new city district with a very special quality of life. In the year 2010 the Vauban city district was presented at the EXPO in Shanghai as an example for sustainable city planning.
- Heliotrop (visit from outside) – Discover the future with this rotating Plus-Energy House, the Heliotrop. Photovoltaic modules on the roof produce more energy than that required by the building. Passive solar energy is optimally gained by having the house rotate with the sun. The use of rainwater, a composting toilet, and a small constructed wetland are also positive features.
- Solar Housing Estate – Sonnenschiff – Discover the world’s first-ever-service center in a highly efficient energy-saving construction by solar architect Rolf Disch. It holds two supermarkets, a bakery, numerous offices and the renowned Eco Institute. State of the art technology like triple glass panes, vacuum panels, heat recovery systems and phase change material (PCM) have all been installed.
Day 9 – Freiburg/Munich
- Breakfast & Day Briefing – Transfer via Private Bus
- Black Forest Community – This community of about 4,300 inhabitants produces 200% of their electricity needs from renewable energies.
- Farm Visit – Visit to a farm with a wood chipping plant for recovering heat and see a water heating method run by recovering heat from fresh cow’s milk.
- Wind Power – Visit one of 5 wind turbines financed by shareholders. Each turbine produces electricity for 1000 households. Sustainable Energy – Visit of a 80 ha farm with a biogas plant that produces over one million kilowatt hours of electricity annually and delivers heat for 14 apartments and the local elementary school. The buildings have three roofs producing solar electricity at a peak rate of 50 kilowatts.
- Discussion with local farmers – To be confirmed based on availability
- Lunch Break at Old Mill – Enjoy products coming directly from the farm of this mill that is today no more in service. After lunch, you will have the possibility to visit the rest of the mill that seems like a museum for former days.
- Train Transfer to Munich (approx. 4.5 hours)
- Farewell Dinner & Program Closing
Day 10 – Return
- Breakfast & Day Briefing
- Airport Transfer – Private Bus
- Depart Munich, Germany for Home
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