Evening Business Challenge In Ostrava+full day trip; Innovation Week WS 2024/2025

On 7 and 8 November 2024, 16 students, mainly from the IBB program, participated in an unconventional activity named “Evening Business Challenge in Ostrava + full-day trip”. The objective of this event was to compete in teams in an actual business environment and, on the second day, discover the natural beauties of the Eastern part of the Czech Republic.

In Ostrava, Maxion Wheels Czech s.r.o., a part of the Brazilian Iochpe-Maxion multinational company, was ready to organize for the VŠE’s students a 90-minute long excursion, including short practical training, and after that, a 3-hour-long business challenge that lasted until 20:00.

Students departed from Prague a few minutes before 8 am on the first day. They arrived in Ostrava with a 30-minute delay and then moved to a traditional local pub for lunch. After taking a tram, they arrived at 13:50 at the Liberty industrial area, where several companies operate, including Maxion Wheels Czech s.r.o.

The students were welcomed by Andrea Kolibáčová, the company’s HR Specialist, who led them to a training room. There, safety instructions were delivered and students were divided into two groups. The first group headed to the production plant, where the complete production process of aluminium car wheels took place. The second group was subject to practical training at the quality control station. After 50 minutes, both groups swapped their places. At approximately 4 pm, a short break was held. After a few minutes, the business challenge started.

As early as before their arrival in Ostrava, the 16 students had been divided into three teams, each receiving a different assignment: one on HR, one on logistics, and one on a sales diversification strategy. In the company, the students were asked to develop a solution to the tasks within the following 150 minutes. At the same time, all teams received one company’s expert and were assigned one room for their work. The experts were available to provide students with a better understanding of the assignments; however, the experts refrained from intervening in the ideas generated by the team members. Before 7 pm, the students presented their solutions. A video call connected two members of the company’s top management, thus increasing the number of company staff observing the presentations to six. Before 8 pm, the company decided that the group working on a sales diversification business plan was the most convincing in its presentation, thus getting first place. The remaining two groups were claimed to provide presentations of similar quality, therefore both occupying the second place. All groups were rewarded with prizes from the company.

When the business challenge ended, students took a train from a nearby station to move to Ostrava’s city centre. There, they spend their evening in an Italian-style restaurant. At 11 pm, all students were already at the hotel.

The second day of the program was similarly busy. The students departed from Ostrava at 8:57, heading to Opava by train. In Opava, they changed to a bus to get to Bruntál. There, they were served with a small lunch at a local bar. After taking a second bus, the students arrived at the Ovčárna tourist resort at 12:25 in the Jeseníky mountains. From this point, the students set off for a 20,5-km long trip, crossing several mountains. The students witnessed sunset at 16:16 on top of the Dlouhé Stráně power plant and descended when darkness started spreading over the tips of the mountains. At this moment, torches were needed to get to the valley safely. At 18:50, they departed from the Kouty nad Desnou train station to return to Prague.

This two-day event was created by our colleague from the Department of International Business, and sponsored by the Faculty of International Relations, Prague University of Economics and Business.

Feedback by some of the participating students follows:

Giang:
It was such a unique and brand-new experience for me and, I believe, for anyone who attended it. I was in the HR team, and I was amazed at how we were trying to discuss the problems and solutions for the company in a practical context and not reinvent the wheel. For the first time I can feel how energetic and powerful our young minds are. The hiking trip on the second day was definitely a real challenge for me, but through that, I learned so much about resilience and team spirit that can be applied in any facet of my life.

Simona: I was pleasantly surprised to see the interest of the company employees in our challenge, including the management. It was clear that this was not just a formality, but our ideas were being listened to and appreciated. This made the entire experience that much more worthwhile. As for the hike, although at times challenging, it allowed me to discover a new part of the Czech Republic and presented me with beautiful views all around. I am definitely glad that I made the decision to sign up for this trip.

Illia: Participating in the competition was a truly valuable experience. I was part of the logistics team, where I had the chance to design a warehouse and make it as efficient as possible. This wasn’t just a hypothetical project; we solved an actual issue faced by the company Maxion and worked on a real-world problem. It was also inspiring to see how other teams completed their challenges and how students could bring fresh ideas to the company. Maxion was very welcoming, providing us with gifts, valuable insights, and a tour of their factory. They answered all our questions openly and showed us closely their operations. On the second day, we took a challenging hike, which rewarded us with a beautiful sunset view at the top of a hill. It was a great chance to enjoy Czech nature and connect further with Czech culture.

Gia Khanh: Firstly, I want to thank the company, the university and especially our teacher for organizing such a nice trip. It was a totally new experience for me. I had a chance to set foot in the beautiful city of Ostrava, visit the plant and discuss the business topic with my HR team. I was surprised by how many of our ideas were welcomed and appreciated. The discussion also broadened my mind to see how Gen Z is moving so fast, energetic and more creative. On the second day, I have to say that I struggled a lot with the hike. I nearly gave up at first, but in the end, I made it. I realized that it is always challenging at first, but resilience and effort will make it worthwhile. And one more comment, the view was so breathtaking on the mountain. I am so happy that I made a decision to register and managed to see the beautiful sunset on the hill.

Lina:
The business challenge was both interesting and incredibly rewarding. It was definitely a unique experience, working with my team on logistics issues at Maxion Wheels gave me valuable hands-on experience and a real sense of how complex these areas are in an actual business setting. The next day’s 20-km hike through the Jeseníky mountains was equally memorable. We climbed through beautiful landscapes and saw the sunset from a mountain peak. It was a challenging trek, but the breathtaking views made it all worthwhile and a perfect end to an unforgettable program. We are all so grateful for this opportunity, and personally, I’m really glad I decided to take on this challenge.

Many thanks to everyone who has participated in making this event happen!