Sutumed Corp., a US subsidiary of Lima, Peru-based multinational medical device manufacturer Unilene and a Southwest Florida manufacturer of high-quality surgical sutures and meshes, was recognized through the Florida SBDC Network Statewide Undergraduate Student Project of the Year Award, honoring an exceptional collaborative effort between Sutumed and Florida Gulf Coast University’s Global Business Strategy & Organization course. The award honors the partnership itself, highlighting the value created through a semester-long, hands-on consulting engagement between a local SBDC client company and the university classroom.
Guided by Dr. Daniel Rottig, Professor of Global Strategic Management and International Business (pictured with Sutumed/Unilene representatives), five student consulting teams comprising a total of twenty-two undergraduate students worked closely with the company’s leadership to develop a comprehensive Internationalization Plan grounded in rigorous industry research, applied strategic analysis, and direct client engagement. Demonstrating exceptional commitment to the project, Unilene’s president and top-level executives flew in from Lima, Peru multiple times over the course of the semester, and together with Sutumed’s CEO and top C-suite representatives engaged with students to provide valuable feedback and advice.
Across the semester, the student consulting teams examined international demand, competitive positioning, regulatory and compliance considerations, distributor and market entry models, and high value market segments, all while aligning their recommendations with Sutumed’s strengths as an agile, quality driven medical device manufacturer operating in a highly regulated global industry. This practical, experiential project directly reflects Florida Gulf Coast University’s mission as a learner-centered institution dedicated to student success and to serving Southwest Florida through impactful partnerships that provide academic, economic, and community enrichment. By pairing classroom instruction with real world consulting for a regional company, the project created a meaningful pathway for students to thrive as engaged, responsible, global citizens while delivering actionable strategic value to Sutumed. The statewide recognition from the Florida SBDC Network affirms both the depth of the students’ experiential learning achievement and the tangible outcomes produced through this collaboration, marking a significant milestone for the university, the students, and the business community they serve.