The big picture
Negotium asks students from U.S. and Mexican universities to work together on business problems affecting the region. The competition combines practice developing and defending a business proposal with experience working across institutions and countries.
The second edition of the binational business simulation and pitch competition was held Nov. 6 at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Ciudad Juárez campus.
Participants represented The University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico State University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez and Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua.
Proposals address supply chains and trade
The first-place proposal, NodeSight, outlined a system to help industrial plants anticipate component shortages. It would use inventory, border-crossing, logistics and weather data to help manufacturers prevent supply disruptions and production interruptions.
NOM-Express, the second-place proposal, focused on helping small and midsized businesses comply with Mexico’s official standards, known as NOMs. The proposed platform would provide guidance, assessments and monitoring to help businesses navigate compliance requirements.
The top two teams received laptops from Arca Coca-Cola. The eight finalist teams also received gift bags from Johnson & Johnson.
Building a business proposal
Judges evaluated proposals on regional relevance, innovation, business viability and presentation. Students were expected to show initial evidence supporting their ideas, present at booths and answer judges’ questions.
For Samantha Lucey Molina, a UTEP accounting student, working toward a shared goal with students from other universities was one of the most valuable parts of the competition.
“It was fun and interesting to exchange ideas with them,” Lucey Molina said. “We each brought different perspectives, and they fit together like pieces of a puzzle.”
