Pitt Plus3 Program

Microsoft is better than Google #sorrynotsorry

Today was a wonderful day of much needed rest. Our only agenda item was going to Google, and the rest of the day was up to our discretion; so, I opted to take a much-needed nap to catch up on sleep. I had really high hopes for Google. I have seen pictures and videos of…

So uhh… do you like crypto?

Today we went to the University of Nicosia to hear a panel from some different ship management companies. First we heard from Fleet Management Company (FML). Then, Antonis Polemitis talked to us about cryptocurrency, the blockchain, and NFTs. Finally, we talked to Spyros Makridakis. He is a leading data forecaster for large companies all over…

Apples to Oranges, or rather Coffee to Bananas!

For today we visited two different kinds of plantations. Pineapples and Bananas! Both were awesome and really shed some light on the supply chain of simpler products like native fruits in the country. Because of this I’d like to compare and contrast the supply chain between the local fruit farms to the coffee farms we’ve…

Peter Piper Picked A Piña

There is a world of difference between the coffee bean business versus the banana and pineapple business. When it comes to banana and pineapples, you take the fruit directly from the farm to transporters to retailers. However, when you’re working with coffee beans, you have to take them through the roasting process which adds another…

Going Pineapples for Bananas

In the lowlands of Costa Rica, there are many banana and pineapple plantations scattered throughout. Having the chance to visit both types today, we learned about how these plantations operate. Both had a large focus on sustainable farming and put in great efforts to achieve the smallest environmental footprint possible. The main way both of…

Mind your nanners!

Both the banana and pineapple plantations took steps to ensure that they were acting in a sustainable way. Both plantations were organic, so they don’t use synthetic pesticides, and making sure their crops are not contaminated by any chemicals. Both plantations also use parts of their plants as compost that then gets turned into fertilizer…

I still don’t understand crypto

Today was kind of a long day of lectures at UNIC. We started off by meeting with two shipping companies. The first was fleet management limited and the second was Mediterranean ship management company. Both lectures provided an extensive description of the management side of shipping. I think it’s cool how we’ve seen all sides…

You’re the pineAPPLE of my eye

After visiting the pineapple and banana plantation, my knowledge about the growth and exportation of these various products expanded. Of the three products, bananas are the least complex to produce. The banana production involves digging out the smallest plant at the base of the banana crop and then planting it somewhere else to reproduce it….

Who Cultivates Pineapples Under the Sea?

In comparing today’s crops with those of coffee, it certainly seems like the fruits are a bit simpler to cultivate, especially given that they correspond with our expectations of modern agriculture. Whereas coffee requires a very convoluted process of hand-picking, cherry-sorting, de-shelling, washing, and roasting. plants like pineapple merely need to be sliced off of…

Day 5

Today started off spectacularly: 9:30 wake up. Today, we were traveling to BSM Ship Management Center and specifically learned about their Maritime services, or training for those who travel at sea. Maritime services is like college for ship-members, and students learn all about how to man a ship, the specifics to the roles they want,…

Meeting with Fleet Management Limited and Attending Cryptocurrency and Forecasting Lectures

After an amusing weekend in Paphos, we returned to Nicosia ready to dive back into our business and academic endeavors. In the morning, we met with the ship management company, Fleet Management Limited and in the afternoon, we attended lectures about cryptocurrency and forecasting. Fleet Management Limited (FML) is the only ship management company in…

Day 8: Fleets and Forcasting

Today we spent our day at UNIC for a company visit and some talks with representatives from the University. We met with Fleet Management Limited which originates from Hong Kong but has a main branch in Cyprus as well. We began with an overview of the company and then proceeded on with being asked questions…

Pineapple Tour

Today, we had the opportunity to visit both a banana plantation and a pineapple plantation. After experiencing this, I think that there are many similarities and differences between the operations of coffee, banana, and pineapple plantations. One main difference is the initial intended role of these products in the supply chain. Although coffee was grown…

Bananas, Pineapples, and Plantains…Oh my!

After swimming in a waterfall and getting some much needed rest on our free day yesterday, we continued with some more company visits today focused on tropical agriculture! We visited a banana and pineapple plantation, which have a very different growing process than the coffee plantations we have studied so far. In regards to supply…

If you like Pina Coladas and having tractors malfunction…

The plantations we visit today grow and export tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples from Costa Rica. Compare and contrast the supply chain of bananas and pineapple with that of coffee in terms of complexity and reach. In terms of sustainability, what does each do to protect the environment, its workers, and the community?…

My Goodness, My Google

Two of our highest profile visits during the Plus3 Ireland program were to American firms. In comparing Google and Microsoft, some similarities involving the two tech giants were how Dublin acted as a center (centre) for not only Irish operations, but all of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and a little bit of everywhere else…

Fresh Fruit

Today in Costa Rica, we got to visit both a banana and a pineapple farm. Although the fruit plantations had similarities in the supply chain to coffee plantations, significant differences still exist. First, similarities between the two processes are that both require careful planning in the harvesting of crops to meet demand, product-specific packaging to…

Pinã Colada Paradise

Today we finally got to venture into the juicy side of Costa Rica, exploring and learning about the banana and pineapple plantations. These two supply chains we saw today are very contrasting to those of coffee plantations. For one coffee needs to go through way more processes than bananas or pineapples do. They need to…

The Work on Differing Plantations

Today we visited both a banana and a pineapple plantation which made today the first day that we visited a plantation that did not grow or relate to the production and selling of coffee. After today it has become clear to me that coffee has to be protected much more than fruits like bananas and…

Coffee and Bananas and Pineapples, Oh My!

Today my Plus3 group visited a banana plantation as well as a pineapple plantation. While visiting these locations, I was interested in the similarities and differences between the supply chains for bananas, pineapples, and coffee. To start, is is clear that the supply chain for coffee is far more complicated than the same process for…