Finding new markets and expansion opportunities for real companies. What projects did the students undertake during the Growth Strategy course?

Every winter semester, there is the Growth Strategy course. Thanks to our corporate partners, who understand that the best way to learn is to jump right into the business, students work throughout the semester on one growth strategy project that the corporate partner needs to address.

After a semester of hard work, the teams conclude the final phase of their Growth Strategy Projects: the final delivery presentation. What were the tasks, and were their ‘clients’ satisfied with the outcomes?”

Eldis – Predict where new airport construction or expansion projects might soon emerge based on the needs and capabilities of the country.

It is no secret that success in business comes from strategic decisions based on accurate estimates of future developments. Proper information and qualified judgment are crucial, and that is exactly what the company Eldis tasked students with. Eldis’s radar systems are used in more than 25 countries worldwide, primarily at airports, which is why predicting new airport construction or expansion projects is essential for business growth. The team considered and weighed many criteria to narrow down the list of potential markets and territories, ultimately selecting the top five for a more detailed analysis. Two locations emerged as the best for Eldis strategists to monitor.

“The students followed a systematic approach to the project and in some cases came to similar conclusions as we did in our internal studies. We will use the project internally, it offers us perspectives from a different angle on business development and also provides interesting tips for evaluating the potential of new leads and in creating market analyses,” says the Business Director at Eldis Filip Vogel.

Grada – Choose an expansion market in Eastern Europe and strategy for Bookport.

Bookport is an online subscription for organizations as well as for end users with more than 10 000 e-books. It is developed by Grada Publishing, one of the most renowned Czech book publishers. So far, it operates in the Czech and Slovak markets. Grada explained its long-term expansion goals to the team and tasked the students with identifying the most promising markets in Eastern Europe where Bookport can thrive. Similar to DEK, the first step was to conduct a quantitative analysis to filter-out countries that don’t meet Grada’s and the team’s criteria. They ended up with three favorites, which were then subjected to further qualitative analysis, resulting in one high risk, but high potential outcome option.”

Jakub Jech, Head of electronic resources at Grada claims that the project was beneficial for the company’s decision making: “We will further use the conclusions from the project in follow-up processes and a more detailed analysis of selected countries. We were pleased with the students’ active and responsible approach to the project. We will stay in touch with students and possibly work together on next steps.”

Green0meter – Select a go-to market for business expansion for an ESG reporting system.

Sustainability and ESG reporting are making their way through the business landscape not only in Europe, but also in the rest of the world. The leading Czech ESG platform Green0meter, which offers know-how and software for sustainable reporting, sees an opportunity to become a more significant player in this globally growing market and asked students for their advice: Which country in the Asia-Pacific region should we prioritize? First, a quantitative analysis was conducted, selecting 10 countries from the initial 33. Following a multicriteria analysis and criteria weighting, the team presented three countries that Green0meter should focus on, along with a much more detailed analysis of one ultimate favorite.

The Co-Founder of Green0meter Karel Kotoun said that the company will consider the team’s conclusions: “The students identified a relevant market opportunity and highlighted potential business partners in the region. They presented financial projections that were considered a solid starting point. Green0meter is ready to move forward by putting the students’ recommendations to the test and welcoming them to participate in this pilot.”

Job Air Technic – Strategic Market Position Enhancement

Business expansion doesn’t always mean just entering a new market or building a new branch. It can also involve strategic acquisitions! Is there a company in the aviation industry that Job Air could consider acquiring to strengthen its position in the European market, or potentially expand into North America and the Asia-Pacific region? A team of students conducted in-depth research of 440 companies and identified several potential candidates for more detailed assessment. The students then presented the most suitable candidates for acquisition, including a recommendation on which one Job Air should consider first.

 Chief Business Development Officer Mateusz Ojciec and his team were “pleasantly surprised by the depth and precision of the project that students had delivered.”

“It confirmed some of our internal thinking and provided valuable insights, particularly in the area of identifying potential acquisitions. The results of the project will serve as a basis for our future strategic decisions and we are very grateful to the students for their efforts,” said Ojciec. 

Škoda – Propose next steps in Vietnam and create a go-to market strategy for a new market in the ASEAN region.

Škoda Auto is expanding its footprint in the ASEAN region and aims to gain traction in this developing market. In 2023, Škoda Auto entered Vietnam, and now it is time to evaluate its position and recommend the next strategic moves, as well as identify another go-to market in the ASEAN region. Based on a thorough and complex analysis of the Vietnamese market, the team recommended three key growth strategy steps. The students then analyzed the ASEAN region and identified one new market that aligns with the core value proposition of Škoda Auto. They also presented a recommended approach for successfully entering the market.

„It’s been a refreshing time we spent with the group of international students, while they were working on our brief for their semester project. Getting a chance to see our work and efforts from different angles and using the fresh perspective of young and curious minds is always vital to us,” said Zuzana Varyšová from Skoda Auto’s Marketing.

„The outcome of the analysis and proposed strategic steps have supported some trends identified in our strategy for Vietnam market growth. As the next step, students also worked on a research which of the ASEAN markets would be the most suitable for further Skoda expansion in the region, actually managing to get very close to Skoda strategic considerations,” she acknowledged.