Competitors from 12 universities across the UK were tasked to use strategy and technology to improve the profitability of a fictional retail company. This scenario was commissioned from IBM by Lancaster University’s Careers team, which organised the competition for the third year running under licence from the Working Knowledge Group.

A team from Manchester Metropolitan University emerged triumphant at the end of the challenging and intensive two-day contest held over the 6th and 7th of January in the Management School.

Howard Dodgson, of Burton & Fisher Financial Services, who has been a mentor and judge at the competition for the past three years, said: “It must be said that all the students representing 12 Universities were a credit to the youth of today - polite, hard-working, innovative in their thinking and professional in their presentations.

“The organisation of the event was second to none in terms of communication and timings and great credit must go to the whole team at the Careers wing of Lancaster University. I was honoured to be part of what was a most inspirational and highly enjoyable two days.”

Sarah Lonergan, from Santander Universities who was one of the competition judges, said: “I have to say I was really impressed from start to finish. It was faultless and I enjoyed every minute. The students, as always, blew me away - the calibre was so high again this year.”

This was the third year that the FLUX competition has been organised and hosted by Lancaster University. Lancaster’s own team, who were all Management School students, finished third, with a team from the University of Bedfordshire taking second spot.

The FLUX competition uses the business planning tool Xing and sponsors this year included IBM, BAE Systems, Deloitte, and Milkround. FLUX and Xing were developed by Working Knowledge Group.

Sarah Fox, Careers Education & Guidance Manager at Lancaster University, said: “The FLUX 2016 business challenge competition ran outstandingly well and attracted returning and new universities in its third year at Lancaster University. I’m delighted with the result for Lancaster students and that we have engaged local SMEs to take part in the competition this year. It has been a great success.”