In the nationwide "JugendGründet" competition, we had the honor of winning the special chemistry prize donated by ALTANA. The prize included a trip to New York City and then a tour of the American BYK site in Wallingford.
On the day we arrived, even after an eight-hour flight, we were so excited to see the city that we set off on foot directly into the streets of New York without a destination. In the evening, we met up with Elisabeth and Matt from BYK to go to a New York restaurant together. After the (excellent) meal, of course we couldn't miss seeing Times Square at night and walking around NYC at night for a bit.
The next day our schedule was also tight and we met our local guide for the upcoming New York tour right after breakfast. There was an endless amount to see and learn about the city and we were lucky enough to be able to marvel at the" most important" sights in this short time; from the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and the Empire State Building, to St. Paul's Cathedral and Fifth Avenue, to the Ground Zero Memorial and the Statue of Liberty. What the stay in NYC has shown us in any case: we have to visit again ;)
On the evening of the second day, we drove to Wallingford, CT, where Debra from BYK (she was responsible for organizing the trip) welcomed us and spent the rest of the evening with us. The next day, our visit to BYK (the American ALTANA site) was scheduled. BYK manufactures additives for polymers and paints, which is of course very fitting for us as a mechanical engineering startup for plastic recycling. There we were able to get great insights into production and R&D at such a large company and see current research on site. In the evening, we went out for pizza with Debra and a few other BYK employees and then got a guided tour of New Haven.
On the last day, we headed back to JFK and it already felt like a week had passed because we had experienced so many new things and had such a full program.
We are very grateful to JugendGründet and especially to ALTANA AG for this unforgettable experience!
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