Success of Faculty of Economics Students in the Case Study Contest 2026 Grand Finale by Ocean Network Express

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We are pleased to announce the successful participation of students from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Gdańsk in the Case Study Contest 2026 – Grand Finale, a competition organized in cooperation between Ocean Network Express (ONE) and the University of Gdańsk.

The final event took place on 31 March 2026 at the Ocean Network Express headquarters in Gdańsk, bringing together talented students selected for the finale, as well as representatives of the university and ONE experts.

The Case Study Contest is an initiative that annually provides students with the opportunity to tackle real business challenges in logistics, shipping, and supply chain management. Participants work in teams to solve operational or strategic problems, presenting their ideas before a jury composed of representatives from academia and business.

For students, it is not only a chance to gain practical experience in an international company but also an opportunity to take a real step toward their professional careers. The event also serves as a platform for integrating the academic community with the business world and for exchanging experiences between students and industry practitioners. From the university’s perspective, it is further evidence of the importance of partnerships with the socio-economic environment in shaping the development paths of young people.

This year’s finale demonstrated not only the high level of participants’ academic preparation but also their creativity and innovative approach. Students presented original perspectives on challenges in the shipping industry related to the use of artificial intelligence, proposing concrete solutions that were highly appreciated by the jury and organizers.

The topic of this year’s competition was: “The Future of Vessel Utilization: Using Artificial Intelligence to Synchronize Booking Forecasts with Real-Time Cargo Space Management and Stowage Optimization”.

Out of many applications, five students qualified for the final stage. The finalists were:

Martyna Joszczuk – first-year Master’s student in Logistics and Mobility,
Aziz Mina – first-year Master’s student in Logistics and Mobility,
Filip Narusz – third-year Bachelor’s student in Transport Economics and Logistics,
Nalbant Taygen – first-year Master’s student in Logistics and Mobility,
Mateusz Tomczak – first-year Master’s student in E-commerce.

Following the presentations before the Competition Committee and a detailed evaluation by the jury, the winners were selected. Three participants received financial awards for the best presentations and proposed solutions, with the main prize being a paid internship at Ocean Network Express.

The winners of the Case Study Contest 2026 were:

1st place: Mateusz Tomczak (E-commerce, Master’s programme),
2nd place: Filip Narusz (Transport Economics and Logistics, Bachelor’s programme),
3rd place: Martyna Joszczuk (Logistics and Mobility, Master’s programme).

We warmly congratulate all participants, and extend special recognition to the winners of the final!

The Competition Committee included:

representatives of ONE: Ewa Cetner (Head, HR & GA), Stephan Hampfe (Head, Regional Operations Control), Marco Orsini (Head, Regional Container Steering Department), Marek Furtak (Cargo Management and Space Control), Adrian Groman (Team Leader, Regional Operations Control FR/IT), Krzysztof Wilma (Cargo Management Coordinator);
representatives of the University of Gdańsk: Magdalena Markiewicz, Vice-Dean for Development and Cooperation, Faculty of Economics, Department of International Business, and Anna Michalska-Szajer, MA, Department of Transport Market.

On behalf of ONE, the competition was organized by Ewa Cetner (Head, HR & GA) and Karolina Sas-Bojarska (Senior HR Advisor), while on behalf of the University of Gdańsk by Magdalena Markiewicz (Deputy Dean for Development and Cooperation, Faculty of Economics, Department of International Business) and Tomasz Nowosielski (Faculty of Economics, Department of Maritime Transport and Trade).

We congratulate all finalists and winners and sincerely thank the representatives of the University of Gdańsk and Ocean Network Express for co-creating such inspiring and valuable educational initiatives!

We look forward to future editions of the contest and further successes of our students in the fields of business, logistics, and maritime transport.