Information sharing helps

摘要

I had the opportunity last summer to be part of an intriguing strategic business initiative in the packaging sector: The Italian Trade Commission's student trip to tour Italy and its packaging machinery builders. The business strategy behind this program is a long-term one, and we in the U.S. might do well to study it because of the way it fosters the kind of multinational relationships that seem so increasingly important in today's global economy.rnTo participate in the program, students compete in a research paper competition. The writer of the best paper from each packaging program is chosen to attend a two-week all-expense-paid trip to Italy. The trip is a balance of cultural visits to cities in Italy and daily visits to packaging machinery firms. The firms host the student groups, and the managers of the facility or the CEOs of the firms take the time to explain their particular market niche, their machinery, and how they are organized.