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59 AutoData | December 2018 atest attraction of the company’s stand in the Salão do Automóvel de São Paulo. The young Brazilian who did not speak a word in German is the head in the interior design studios of one of the main German and, this way, global manufacturers today. The current industry period amazes him: «It is a privilege to work in this transitional phase for electric and the autonomous vehicles». For Maurício, the interior of the vehicles will soon represent the role of a living room. And because of this, the creativity of interior designers will be able to fly much further than today. GOODBYE, TALENTS The stories of Thomas and Maurício are undoubtedly interesting from the ad- venture point of view, determination and overcoming, but they do not fail to exem- plify a tendency that has been noticed for some time: the departure of Brazilian talents to other countries - and in these two cases, proved to be two great talents of the automotive industry. This situation tends to become even more evident from now on since vehi- cle manufacturers have been reducing their boards of engineering, design, and similar areas in the name of faster and cheaper global developments that al- most never have Brazil as headquarters. The only slightly open door now seems to be research and development via Rota 2030. The case of the ‘Brazilian boys’ at Audi gives us at least a margin to question how much more advanced our industry could be today (globally and technologically speaking) if so many Thomas and Maurí- cios were not applying their efforts in other countries, in other markets. Although (it is acknowledged) it is quite plausible to believe that if they had opted to stay in Brazil, Thomas and Maurício could have been professionals in completely different areas from the automotive industry – or (who knows) they would work as Uber drivers, seeing Audi models only from the window. Mauricio Monteiro changed the German classes for a job in a church in Essen. Now he designs the interior of models such as the Q8, Audi’s greatest highlight at the Salão de SP