Why Study and Work in Supercars and Motorsports?

Do you feel the need for speed? Do names like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, and Toro Rosso get your motor running? Would a career in Bologna’s thrilling and cutting-edge “Motor Valley” be a dream come true? If so, business studies in the field of motorsports can offer an amazing inside edge.

Here’s a closer look at this fast and furious industry, along with one program that can get you the pole position for your career.

The Supercar Revolution

The global auto industry is constantly changing as new designs and innovations change the look, feel and performance of vehicles. And while the market at large is booming due to economic conditions, one trend, in particular, is driving growth: supercars.

MarketWatch says of the phenomenon, “The global Supercar market has [...] been relatively untouched by the financial crisis and has been posting growth driven by the emerging markets. Global Supercar sales in 2017 reached 75 kilo units, and are expected to reach 84 kilo units by the end of 2025.”

Fueled by demand from the US, UK, and China, the supercar obsessions is a natural extension of the economy, asserts Niall McCarthy in Forbes. “Given that the world's billionaire club has continued its relentless expansion over the past decade, it's little wonder that sales of their favorite toys have also grown significantly during the same time frame,” he explains. A recent Automotive News Europe article, meanwhile, indicates that supercar makers are poised for major growth in Europe, too.

The takeaway, according to Market News Live? “The rapid utilization is creating a big opportunity for the buyers, suppliers, and distributors in the Supercar market.” Not only are supercars having a major moment, but the bar is constantly changing regarding what constitutes a supercar -- both as technologies change and as owners are looking for new ways to differentiate themselves by the cars they own.

“The simple reality is that, in today's world, it seems that just having a supercar isn't enough, and just making a supercar isn't enough -- they've become too common for many of the people who own supercars. You now must make a ‘special’ supercar to distinguish ‘regular’ supercar owners from the elite few -- and people who have a lot of supercar history seemingly only want these ‘special’ models, rather than be lumped in with the masses who have the standard Lamborghini Huracan, the Ferrari 488, the Porsche 911 GT3, and on and on,” asserts Autotrader.

This ever-moving finish line means near-endless opportunities for industry innovators!

What’s Next for Supercars?

Speaking of industry momentum, it begs the question: What’s coming next for supercars? As consumers becoming increasingly aware of their impact on the environment, eco-friendly hybrid supercars are positioned to be the next big thing. This may sound like an oxymoron given conceptions about conventional, gas-guzzling sports car engines, but there’s always a new and better way of doing something, say insiders.

Dubuc co-founder Mike Kakogiannakis told The Ethicalist, “Just 10 years ago to bust such an electric or hybrid-engined supercar would have been more out of passion. You’d have had to have gone out of your way. Now buying is just that much more feasible because the technology required to make these engines practical is evolving at an unprecedented rate.”

Indeed, advancements in this area are as much about the tech industry as they are about the automotive industry. McLaren senior manager of global product strategy Donna Falconer adds, “People are probably surprised by the amount of environmental technology development going on in the super-car sector. But the fact is that you can’t, for instance, just keep putting more and more turbos on a conventional engine to improve its performance. There are limits to the old technology. You have to look to the new to deliver performance.”

Take Your Career From Zero to 60

While the Supercar movement is charged with opportunities, it’s not guaranteed to be a smooth ride. Skilled, knowledgeable leaders will be needed to navigate the turns and curves along the way. This is where Bologna Business School’s Global MBA in Supercars, Superbikes, and Motorsports comes in. Offering participants a solid foundation across the major business disciplines across five different tracks, the program comprises three learning blocks: general management, a track-specific course, and an internship or project work period.

What differentiates the BBS Global MBA from its competitors? For starters, there’s the fact that it’s the world’s only program offered in partnership with leading Motor Valley companies such as Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari, and Lamborghini. Located in Emilia-Romagna and the neighboring regions of northern Italy, Motor Valley is home to the headquarters of most of the world’s most famous automotive brands. Speed was born here -- and so it’s fitting that future generations of automotive innovation are on the starting blocks here.

But students in the Global MBA in Supercars, Superbikes and Motorsports don’t just get knowledge and skills, they also get critical career guidance courtesy of BBS’s Career Development Department, which is dedicated to spurring career exploration and fulfillment. Meanwhile, internships and other professional opportunities with the school’s vast network of industry leaders is the perfect springboard into a career. The impact of all this is shown in the Global MBA’s 90 percent average job placement within six months of graduation.

BBS Dean and Professor of Business Administration Massimo Bergami says:

“Since the very beginning of cars and bikes history, our region gave birth to mythological brands in the motor industry and legendary models that represent the fusion of art and technology. Here generations of engineers, designers and managers with an unbridled passion for speed and beauty created, in a small area, an unrivaled concentration of successful motor companies known as Motor Valley. Through this program, you will give yourself the opportunity to enter a world of emotions and performance.”

If you’re ready to shift out of neutral and go full throttle toward a thrilling career in the motorsports industry, we can think of no better place to do so than in the Motor Valley at BBS’ Global MBA in Supercars, Superbikes and Motorsports.

Bologna Business School