In a remarkable display of industry-academia collaboration, PCL, a leading pneumatics expert, has garnered high praise for a group of business students from Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). The students joined forces with PCL on a market research project for an innovative new product, and their exceptional work has positioned this partnership as a blueprint for harnessing local talent.
The collaboration between PCL and Sheffield Business School has not only been a resounding success but has also set the stage for similar initiatives across Europe and potentially worldwide. The partnership was initiated when PCL's Managing Director, Lee Wright, and Product Manager, Simon Alexander, were invited to collaborate with Dr. Alexandra Anderson, Principal Lecturer, and James Beighton, Employer Partnerships Manager (SME), to create a project brief for international business undergraduates.
The project involved conducting market research for PCL's revolutionary Digital Bicycle Tyre Inflator, a fixed air tower that has now become available in Europe, the Far East, and worldwide. Read more on this story here.
The students' main objective was to explore European markets and determine the positioning of the bike inflator within the UK market. To provide them with a comprehensive understanding of PCL's operations and the product in development, the students were given an exclusive tour of PCL's state-of-the-art factory at their Sheffield headquarters.
Simon Alexander, impressed by the students' findings, remarked, "The insights they presented were truly fascinating and provided us with valuable information on how we can further enhance the product." Lee Wright echoed this sentiment, stating, "The students' research was impressive, and we are immensely grateful for their hard work. By involving them in the business development process for the Digital Bicycle Tyre Inflator, which is the first of its kind in the UK market, we gained excellent insights. This advanced product will undoubtedly make cycling safer and more enjoyable for all riders, regardless of their experience level, be it novice, experienced, or professional cyclists."
Lee Wright further emphasised the significance of collaborating with SHU as part of the students' studies. He noted, "This partnership allows SHU's undergraduates to apply their specialised skills and knowledge while enhancing their employability skills. As a local company working with a prominent educational institution, projects like these grant us access to a talent pool for the next generation of marketers and engineers to join our team."
Expressing her gratitude to the PCL team for their collaboration, Dr. Anderson said, "The students received guidance from academic experts throughout the process, and their experience was integrated into the curriculum. This project enabled them to put their international business skills into practice and develop the commercial awareness and expertise they will require in the workplace. We hope to witness more collaborations with key employers like PCL, as it will contribute to graduate retention in our area and foster growth in the South Yorkshire economy. We eagerly look forward to working on future projects with PCL."
The success of the PCL-SHU initiative has already inspired PCL's parent company, TECALEMIT, to follow suit in Germany. Marketing Management Assistant Britta Roeloffs revealed, "The fruitful partnership between PCL and Sheffield Hallam University has prompted us to explore similar working projects with Flensburg University. We will soon be meeting to assess the options and possibilities, and we are excited to establish our own partnership and collaborate with the students. Locals for locals."
