During an intensive week, first-year students on the Swedish-taught Bachelor's Programme in Business and Economics put their theoretical knowledge of business administration into practice by taking part in the business simulation game The Blue Connection.
A total of 62 teams had the opportunity to run a virtual e-bike company, with the objective of creating long-term profitability through a circular business model. Over several rounds of the simulation, students gradually made strategic decisions, collaborated within their teams, and managed the complexity that characterises real-world businesses. The game demonstrates that there is rarely a single correct solution – success depends on weighing different alternatives against one another and understanding how decisions affect the organisation over time.
The purpose of the competition is to give students a broader understanding of how businesses operate in relation to their surrounding environment and to apply business theories in practice. The result is a rewarding and challenging learning experience that places high demands on both teamwork and strategic thinking.
What will you take away from this experience going forward?
"The competition brings together everything we have learned during the year. We learned a great deal from working together as a team. Even though we had our assigned roles, we discussed all areas collectively," says Erik Kammonen.
What was your winning concept?
"We chose a subscription-based business model with longer rental periods across several bicycle models. We also designed bicycles with a very long lifespan. In addition, we managed to achieve low repair costs for the bicycles," says Anton Larsjö.
What was the most enjoyable part?
"Seeing that the results of our actions actually worked. We initially made a loss, but then we could see that the new decisions we had taken were having an effect," says Benjamin Jönsson.
The winning team will have the opportunity to take part in the international Global Student Challenge competition next year.
Students on the English-taught Bachelor’s Programme in Business and Economics also completed the competition in a separate round. In that category, Aiden Palta, Jonas Degn, Kanji Saito and Ömer Galip Köksal claimed first place.
