Today, we had our last company visits. First, we went to BraunAbility. We took a charter bus there, because it was outside of Gothenburg. This company is formerly known as Auto Adapt. At BraunAbility, they design products that make driving easier and even possible for disabled people. They make everything from a handle for a steering wheel to a device that will open your trunk and bring your wheelchair right to the driver’s door. Other products include lifts and extensions so one can control the gas and the brake with their hand. This company is truly amazing.
The presentation was laid out very well. First, there was an introduction of the company. Second, we split into two groups where one group would tour the factory and the other group would stay for a physics lesson connected with safety. Then, the groups would switch. Then we would go to lunch and finally, we would do a team exercise.
My group got to tour the factor first where we saw products being made, but also the final products being used. The majority of these products, I never thought would have ever existed. This manufacturer provides such liberation to people who need it. It’s very inspiring.
For our physics lesson, we learned about product development, learned about the calculations that go into designing the perfect product and what makes something safe or unsafe. To be honest, I was never a physics person and I still am not, so a lot of it didn’t make sense to me and I can’t really recall, but the shape of things is very significant. We watched videos of their products in a crash test and we saw that based on how the chair was affected in a crash, they really have mastered the safety of their products. Above and beyond from the standard regulation, they prioritize comfort. So even though their original product met safety standards, the sitting angle was not comfortable for the person sitting in it. They decided to add a 4 degree angle which increased comfort.
The lunch definitely did not disappoint. They gave us quiche and I wish I could eat It every day.
After lunch, we had our team exercise where people in HR went over the values of their company and asked us to list how we see those values being executed based on our visit. Together, we built a flower of positive qualities and were encouraged to bring these values with us into our own lives and careers.
Advice that I appreciated include: believe in yourself and don’t rush.
Next, we went to Remente, and this was by far my favorite company and visit. Remente is an app that is designed to help people improve their lives. The founder of the company, David, gave us a very personal talk about his own mental health and how he wasn’t okay for a very long time, even though he was functioning. He talked about his visits with therapists and his own research on managing your life. The app divides your life into different sections like work, school, relationships, health, etc., so when you say you aren’t happy with your life, you can rate those categories and see specifically where you need to work on improvement. I felt like this lecture was so enlightening and intimate that I really don’t want to give too much away, but I learned so much and am so excited to start using the app myself and see how I can improve my own life through mental training. I highly recommend anybody reading this to look into the app, themselves. Thank you, David for this moving presentation and advice.
For dinner, I made reservations at a vegan burger restaurant and a group of us went, including a friend of one of the students that happens to be studying abroad in Gothenburg (what are the odds?) and one of the students form Ask a Swede!! When we got to the restaurant, the waitress told us they were doing trivia and the sheet said “Vegan Quiz” so I knew I would win. Unbenounced to me, none of the questions were vegan related so I definitely did not win. It was very fun and delicious, nonetheless.
till sverige 