News: 31 March 08
MBA students power export drive
The brain power of students at The University of Auckland Business School is giving selected New Zealand companies an edge in international markets.
Final year Master of Business (MBA) students at The University of Auckland are being matched with Kiwi companies to help them identify barriers to global expansion and speed up commercialisation of their technologies. The students work with a business mentor within the company and also have supervision from a university mentor, giving the companies access to in-depth academic expertise.
The initiative has government support, with funding from the Foundation? for Research, Science and Technology and national economic development agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The scheme was run as a pilot programme at The University of Auckland in 2007 and will now be introduced at some other universities around the country.
One of the four early stage exporting companies that hosted MBA students, Senztek, is in negotiation with a Hungarian manufacturer as a direct result of the students’ work. Managing Director Brian Knolles says the students connected Senztek with a company interested in its solar water heating technology and a product is being developed to trial in the Hungarian market.
“We were talking to potential customers within two weeks of the students returning from Hungary and I have since visited the market. We hadn’t initially identified Hungary as a potential market so the value to Senztek of this exercise has been far beyond what we originally expected.”
Bioinformatics firm Biomatters used the students to research ways of building sales of its world leading molecular biology software while research and development company Logistics Solutions had the students research commercialisation of new technology for the wine industry. The fourth participant, Abdeus Consulting, used the students to research ways of replicating its local success in overseas markets.
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology regularly supports business placements of MBA students from the prestigious Entrepreneurship Centre at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Sector Business Manager Tom McLeod says it makes sense to build on that by tapping into local resources.
“This is part of a drive to integrate business students and academic staff more closely with businesses that have potential to be globally competitive. The companies get access to smart young minds and the students have real life experience in emerging businesses.”
Logistics Solutions set its students the tasks of identifying where and how it might sell new technology capable of naturally killing bacteria that can spoil wine. Director Lionel Evans says the quality of work carried out was impressive and the final report comprehensive.
“It’s given us additional insights into the decision making process of the wine industry and assisted us in clarifying our thinking about the positioning of our technology. And one of the best things is that the advice is independent.”
NZTE ICT? Sector Manager Martin Knoche says the programme is a win-win for all involved.
“As an economic development agency NZTE is helping build capability for the companies involved, it’s a great way for companies to get external advice in international strategy, and students learn a lot – with successful business mentoring and hands-on experience to complement their theory based study.”
Dr Maureen Benson-Rea, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management and International Business at The University of Auckland Business School says co-operative relationships such as the one involving executive MBA students, industry mentors, Business School academics and selected companies, are an important element in helping students apply their knowledge in real-time situations.
“In turn, the Business School receives continuous feedback on the fit between what we’re teaching and the needs of business which ensures that our programme is always relevant to the market.”
The MBA students were selected through a rigorous vetting process run by the University of Auckland and the work they completed contributed to their university qualifications.
The programme will be offered by the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury in 2008.
Final year Master of Business (MBA) students at The University of Auckland are being matched with Kiwi companies to help them identify barriers to global expansion and speed up commercialisation of their technologies. The students work with a business mentor within the company and also have supervision from a university mentor, giving the companies access to in-depth academic expertise.
The initiative has government support, with funding from the Foundation? for Research, Science and Technology and national economic development agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The scheme was run as a pilot programme at The University of Auckland in 2007 and will now be introduced at some other universities around the country.
One of the four early stage exporting companies that hosted MBA students, Senztek, is in negotiation with a Hungarian manufacturer as a direct result of the students’ work. Managing Director Brian Knolles says the students connected Senztek with a company interested in its solar water heating technology and a product is being developed to trial in the Hungarian market.
“We were talking to potential customers within two weeks of the students returning from Hungary and I have since visited the market. We hadn’t initially identified Hungary as a potential market so the value to Senztek of this exercise has been far beyond what we originally expected.”
Bioinformatics firm Biomatters used the students to research ways of building sales of its world leading molecular biology software while research and development company Logistics Solutions had the students research commercialisation of new technology for the wine industry. The fourth participant, Abdeus Consulting, used the students to research ways of replicating its local success in overseas markets.
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology regularly supports business placements of MBA students from the prestigious Entrepreneurship Centre at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Sector Business Manager Tom McLeod says it makes sense to build on that by tapping into local resources.
“This is part of a drive to integrate business students and academic staff more closely with businesses that have potential to be globally competitive. The companies get access to smart young minds and the students have real life experience in emerging businesses.”
Logistics Solutions set its students the tasks of identifying where and how it might sell new technology capable of naturally killing bacteria that can spoil wine. Director Lionel Evans says the quality of work carried out was impressive and the final report comprehensive.
“It’s given us additional insights into the decision making process of the wine industry and assisted us in clarifying our thinking about the positioning of our technology. And one of the best things is that the advice is independent.”
NZTE ICT? Sector Manager Martin Knoche says the programme is a win-win for all involved.
“As an economic development agency NZTE is helping build capability for the companies involved, it’s a great way for companies to get external advice in international strategy, and students learn a lot – with successful business mentoring and hands-on experience to complement their theory based study.”
Dr Maureen Benson-Rea, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management and International Business at The University of Auckland Business School says co-operative relationships such as the one involving executive MBA students, industry mentors, Business School academics and selected companies, are an important element in helping students apply their knowledge in real-time situations.
“In turn, the Business School receives continuous feedback on the fit between what we’re teaching and the needs of business which ensures that our programme is always relevant to the market.”
The MBA students were selected through a rigorous vetting process run by the University of Auckland and the work they completed contributed to their university qualifications.
The programme will be offered by the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury in 2008.