The trip to the Universita Degli Studi di Bergamo was the last module for the MBA class XIV as a group, so this was also some kind of farewell event. 

Most of us arrived in Bergamo on Wednesday evening,looking forward to our visit at the University on the following day.

At Pizza Bella Napoli we got acclimated to the Italian culture with great pizza.

We were welcomed at the University by the staff and by meeting the Italian students on the first morning. To get to know each other, we had a small exercise finding out things we had in common and differences in our lives. It was interesting to see that one of the reasons behind starting an MBA for the Italian students was the economic situation of Italy, which is much rougher in terms of unemployment than in Germany. This seems to lead them to start the course at a younger age and at a way lower budget.

Together we visited Tenaris in Dalmine, a global manufacturer and supplier of steel pipes. After a lecture on the details of the production process and the different applications of their products, we went to one of the sites, where yellow-glowing hot iron bars ? were pushed through a spike to form pipes. To see the degree of automation, the safety precautions and the processing of the products left a deep impression on me.

The next day started with speakers of Bonduelle, Tesmec and Italia Zuccheri with deep insights into marketing salad, heavy machinery or sugar in their respective innovative way. The lecture was topped off by practical examples of how to grow by learning from mistakes.

Later on, we were welcomed at Fratelli Beretta, a company that sells pre-packaged cold cut meat, with an assortment of their products for lunch. The family business with experience since 1812 showed us the trip the company has taken in the last 20 years, which lead them to become a diversified company and one of the largest food processors of Italy.

On the last day it was time for some business game with the Italian colleagues. By solving case studies and playing a role game, we could learn from each other’s skills and so develop a joint strategy. It was a refreshing way to conclude a weekend of lectures and company visits by a practical assignment, which was being discussed across the teams even afterwards on the event in the evening. Together we went to the Città alta to have some typical polenta and red wine.

Author: Christian Friderichs (MBA XIV student)