When August Bilstein laid the foundations for the innovation incubator BILSTEIN in Altenvoerde in Germany\'s Westphalia region in 1873, nobody had any idea of the crucial influence the company\'s products would one day have on the driving comfort and safety of cars. Instead it was metal window fittings - sold under the catchy name of AUBI, an abbreviation of August Bilstein - that soon made the company famous far beyond the boundaries of Bilstein\'s local region and even abroad.