Internship Assignment - Sales Strategy & Website for International Market Expansion

Field of study

Commercial Economics (International Business / Marketing)

Level

Bachelor's / Applied Sciences – 3rd or 4th year

Internship duration 

3-6 months (12-24 weeks), depending on study programme and availability — see structure below

Supervisors 

Catalina Arteaga (CEO) and Fabio Antonutti (Quality Advisor)

Background

Tesla Dynamic Coils BV designs and manufactures coils for MRI scanners and operates in a technical niche market within the medical imaging sector. Customers include hospitals, radiology centres and, MRI system manufacturers (OEM).

Our company is about to obtain MDR certification (Medical Device Regulation), which will open the door to the EU market. In addition, Tesla Dynamic Coils also targets markets outside the EU, where other regulations apply (for example, FDA requirements in the United States). To capitalise on these growth opportunities, the company currently lacks a clear sales strategy and a website that conveys technical credibility, compliance and market positioning to an international, highly educated audience of buyers and specialists.

Assignment description

The intern will develop a sales strategy for international market expansion — both within the EU (based on MDR certification) and beyond — and translate this strategy into a website that serves as a trust-building and sales instrument aimed at technical, international audiences.

Objectives

• Deliver a sales strategy that substantiates growth both within and outside the EU, using MDR certification as a lever for the EU market.
• Provide insight into relevant approval requirements/regulations in promising markets outside the EU.
• Deliver a website (concept or full build) that communicates technical quality, compliance and international orientation, and contributes to lead generation.
• Provide concrete recommendations for implementation, including KPIs and risks.

Structure by phase (core programme: 12 weeks / 3 months)

Phase 1 – Research & analysis (weeks 1-3)

• Analysis of the current position: customers, channels, competitors in the MRI coils niche
• EU market research: opportunities created by MDR certification
• Non-EU market research: identifying 2-3 promising regions/countries and their respective approval requirements (e.g. FDA)
• Research into the procurement process of hospitals, radiology departments and potential OEM customers
• SWOT and competitor analysis, including international players

Phase 2 – Sales strategy (weeks 4-7)

• SMART sales objectives for EU and non-EU markets
• Target group segmentation (hospitals, radiology centres, OEM manufacturers, distributors per region)
• Customer journey with attention to long, technical B2B decision processes
• Channel selection per market (direct sales, local distributors, trade fairs, online)
• Positioning: technical quality plus MDR certification as a trust signal
• Implementation plan with timeline, KPIs and attention to regional differences

Phase 3 – Website (weeks 8-11)

• Translating the strategy into functional and content requirements (technical specifications, certifications, quality policy, possible multilingual support)
• Sitemap and content structure aimed at building trust and conversion among a technical, international audience
• Developing or (having) the website built
• Testing for findability, usability and international accessibility

Phase 4 – Delivery & recommendations (week 12)

Final presentation of the strategy and website to management

Handover document with recommendations, risks and measurement methods

Additional depth for longer internships (4-6 months)

For an internship of 4-6 months, one or more of the modules below can be added (weeks 13-24).

1. In-depth research on non-EU marketsIn-depth analysis of 1-2 specific non-EU markets: regulations (e.g. FDA), competition, market size 3-4 weeks
2. Website implementation & testingActually (co-)building, testing and launching the website (multilingual) - 3-4 weeks
3. Lead generation & CRMSetting up a lead generation process and/or CRM setup suited to international sales - 3-4 weeks
4. OEM or distributor strategyIn-depth research into collaboration with MRI system manufacturers or local distributors - 3-4 weeks
5. Pilot & evaluationRunning a pilot (e.g. trial campaign, participation in an international trade fair) and evaluating results - 4-6 weeks
6. Content productionTechnical sales material (datasheets, case studies, LinkedIn content) fitting the international positioning - 2-3 weeks

Expected results (deliverables)

• Written sales strategy for international market expansion (EU + non-EU)
• (Renewed) website, either live or as a deliverable concept
• Final presentation
• Internship report for the educational institution
• For longer internships: elaboration of the chosen in-depth module(s)

Required competencies

• Analytical and strategic thinking ability
• Interest in international B2B sales within a technical, regulated sector
• Basic knowledge of website/CMS tools (a plus)
• Affinity with technology, or willingness to learn about medical imaging (a plus)
• Ability to work and plan independently
• Good command of English (international communication)

Supervision

Weekly meetings with Catalina Arteaga (CEO) and/or Fabio Antonutti (Quality Advisor), evaluation moments after each phase, interim adjustment of scope in case of an extended internship, and a final evaluation upon completion.