20.03.2024
Swiss participants working on the business case during the International Economics Olympiad in 2023.
First things first: Have you taken the 45-minute multiple choice online exam yet? Have you told your students? No? Then go for it until April 1st.
This could be the first step towards your ticket to the International Economics Olympiad in Hong Kong this summer – you never know what might come out of it. If you're not sold yet, let Adrien convince you:
Those who qualify will go to the final at UBS on May 3rd, where they will be faced with a variety of challenges, among them a case study, where they can practically apply economic theory to a business. The following examples of former case studies, including sample solutions, can be found in the national final archive:
The founding of Essento was preceded by the first culinary experiences of the founders Christian Bärtsch and Matthias Grawehr with insects in various countries. In them grew the conviction that insects not only offer the potential for a more diverse, sustainable, and healthy diet and a wholesome source of protein, but that the production of insects as food can also make a positive contribution to people and the environment. Additionally, insects also taste great, which Essento hopes to convince skeptical consumers of with the insect cookbook "Grillen, Heuschrecken & Co" by Christian Bärtsch. The precondition for the launch of Essento was the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) report published in 2013 on the ecological and health potential of insects. The founders set about convincing Switzerland. On December 16, 2016, the Swiss Federal Council legalized insects as food, and by the time the new food law came into force on May 1, 2017, Essento was already developing products. Essento Burgers and Balls first found their way to retailer refrigerated shelves on August 21, 2017. In June 2018, Essento Snacks were added, and since then Essento's development has been characterized by introducing new products and educating the public about the benefits (and excellent taste) of edible insects. This is done mainly through workshops, cooking classes, team events, dinners, and lectures.
Download the full case study, including questions and sample solutions
Rigi Technologies SA ("RigiTech") is an active company in logistics. It was founded as a start-up by three professionals with extensive industry experience by the end of 2016. RigiTech then started its actual business activities in September 2018. Its mission is to build a fully integrated solution for drone deliveries between cities. The name "Rigi" is not chosen by chance. The Rigi – located in the center of Switzerland – is at times referred to as the "Queen of the Mountains". Almost completely surrounded by water, it functions as a natural bridge between two cantons. The physical characteristics of the Rigi embody the philosophy of «RigiTech» - to create a sustainable connection between locations. Always following the vision of changing access to goods through automatic air logistics that can overcome any kind of geographical obstacle. The business idea of "RigiTech" is to provide ready-to-use "AirBridges" between two points, including the necessary software and hardware, and to operate them if required. Routes operated by drones are usually faster than ground-based couriers and can also be operated more frequently, in certain applications more cost-effectively and environmentally friendly.
Download the full case study, including questions and sample solutions
Robotics AG, based in Zug, was founded in 2010 by Paul Huber (mechanical engineer) and Ursula Koller (IT
engineer). Together, the two built various small robots in their spare time, which could be controlled with selfdeveloped computer programs or, in part, via mobile apps. This hobby eventually gave rise to their joint company. Since then, Robotics AG has been developing, producing and selling various robots for various applications. The mobile robot division is currently still in the process of being established (see chapter 2). Sales have more than doubled in the last four years as a result of rapidly growing robot density in the industry. As a technology company in Industry 4.0, the company operates in a rapidly changing environment, which is particularly characterized by the digitization of industrial products, services and processes. Technologies such as cloud computing, Big Data, machine learning (deep learning) and AI (artificial intelligence) will significantly accelerate the industry's digitization process and further flexibilize, automate and optimize production processes. The two founders therefore assume that the sales of Robotics AG will develop similarly in the coming years.
Download the full case study, including questions and sample solutions
Feel free to use the case studies to practice or for a group project in your classroom! Are you looking for exam questions instead? Check out the old national final exams and explore the archive of tasks from the International Economics Olympiad.
