Undergraduate students of the School of Business of University of York Europe Campus, had the opportunity get first-hand field experience by working on a real-life project with Ioniki Sfoliata, one of the most important manufacturers of frozen dough and pastry products based in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Working under the valuable guidance of Mr Yiannis Vaharoglou, COO, our students were tasked to conduct primary market research to support new product development strategies and propose brand communication ideas for their existing brands.
The project was undertaken as part of the Practicum of their studies which is a valuable and successful component of all Bachelors programmes of the Business Department. While working for their practicum business students learn new skills, work closely with accomplished professionals from a range of industry sectors, build up employability skills and competences and have one of the most rewarding learning experiences during their studies at University of York Europe Campus.
For 28 years now, Ioniki Sfoliata has been one of the most important vertically organized production units of frozen dough and pastry products in the Greek market. The company holds a leading position in the food service, private as well as branded label channels in Greece and abroad. The production plant is in Thessaloniki and it is a vertically organized production unit of 5.000sqm at 25.000sqm plot of land, which are equipped with a Logistics Centre, modern automated production lines, Quick freezing tunnels with cutting edge technology and a fully Equipped Quality Control Laboratory.
Students at University of York Europe Campus have the opportunity to complete challenging real-life projects, practice their skills and knowledge, and better understand the links between business theory and practice in actual settings. Project-based learning energises students by showing them how academic knowledge is applied in the “real world.” Projects allow students to test their ideas in the company of supportive business professionals and experts who push them to excel.
University-industry cooperation integrated in the education of students is highly promoted in all University of York Europe Campus’ academic programmes and proves a real asset for our students.
Two groups of undergraduate students of the School of Business of University of York Europe Campus had the opportunity get first-hand field experience by working on real-life projects with their ‘company-client’, Ioniki Sfoliata, one of the most important manufacturers of frozen dough and pastry products based in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The first team (team members: Klitemnistra Kotanidou, Erika Sulo, Ivo Angelov and Kaloyan Nikolov) was requested to find and propose strategies that could be employed to attract more Millennials in consuming frozen foods. After hard work and close cooperation with Ioniki Sfoliata Mr Chris Liassides, Associate Professor at our Business Administration and Economics Department, our students presented four different strategies : a)clever and appealing slogans and promotional techniques, b) Healthier ingredients, c) environmentally friendly of packaging and d) smaller portions (with less calories).
The second team’s (team members: Effrosini Daniilidou, Sofia Sotiraki, Thanas Xega, Davor Babamov) main task was to find strategies that could be employed to improve channel management through technology. The main strategy that was presented by our students was the use of active tags for carton boxes, under the technology of RFID Tags and Smart Packaging. As a secondary task, the students also presented their idea on 3D printing of pastries, as a promotional and brand awareness tool in various outlets selling similar foods.
Both projects were undertaken as part of the Practicum of their studies which is a valuable and successful component of all Bachelors programmes of the Business Department. While working for their practicum students build their employability skills, work closely with business experts, and have one of the most rewarding learning experiences during their studies at University of York Europe Campus.
University-industry cooperation integrated in the education of students is highly promoted in all University of York Europe Campus academic programmes and proves a real asset for our students.
Mr. Yanni Vaharoglou, COO of Ioniki Sfoliata and Mr Chris Liassides warnly thanked and congratulated all the students on their work and tenacity in completing successfully their practicum.
What is the Practicum?
Business Practicums are supervised action learning projects designed to provide students with an opportunity to manage a project for an organization (“participating company-client”). They aim to successfully bridge academic knowledge and the development of professional skills and employability.
They are team-based and normally delivered over a semester requiring students to devote an average of 150-200 hours in total (depending on the nature of the project). The student work is complemented by classroom-based teaching/mentoring.
The precise nature of the project can vary enormously depending on both the nature and the needs of the organisation. Participating companies can be large corporations or small local businesses. The common denominator is a genuine need for help with a problem or appreciation of the added value of some independent research beyond the resources or capabilities of the participating company. This may be a general management problem, a marketing issue, a finance matter or any number of specific challenges.
