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UCI’s Center for Real Estate and AIA Cosponsor Smart Modern Modular Housing Case Competition for Students

• By The UCI Paul Merage School of Business

Irvine, CA - (March 04, 2024) -

The Center for Real Estate at the Paul Merage School of Business, in collaboration with AI-transformative Accommodation (AIA), proudly announces the sponsorship and administration of the Case Competition for UCI students. This prestigious competition invites both graduate and undergraduate students to delve into the innovative realm of smart modern modular housing.

This competition creates a dynamic environment where students will collaborate with industry experts to formulate real estate and business strategies within a competitive framework.

“I’m excited about the opportunities this competition provides to our students,” said Dean Ian Williamson. “Participants will help find workable solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Southern California while engaging with real estate and technology leaders to gain experience developing and underwriting business plans."

 

Modern Modular Housing Revolution

As pioneers in the advancement of panelized housing, AIA has created housing units with a construction timeline of three weeks at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. These units, stackable up to four stories high, offer customizable exteriors, interiors and compact furniture, all crafted with materials sourced and manufactured in the United States.

Featuring smart home services integrated with cutting-edge technologies such as smart door locks and video doorbells, these units operate seamlessly on Smart City’s long-range wireless networks. Their applications range from ADUs, homeless shelters and storage units to apartments, hospital-at-home facilities, classrooms and motels.

In a groundbreaking partnership with Nouslogic Telehealth Inc.’s innovative med-tech/remote patient monitoring (RPM) platform, these units present a viable solution for the elderly to age in place, promoting healthy, independent and safe living.

Competition Details

This competition is now open to graduate and undergraduate students at UC Irvine, including the Paul Merage School of Business, the Samueli School of Engineering, the School of Social Ecology and other units. Teams of three to four students are invited to do the necessary market research to develop compelling business plans leveraging this transformative technology.

With guidance and support from the Center for Real Estate, along with dedicated coaches and access to unit specifications—including a model unit on display—participants will be equipped to tackle the challenge effectively. Business plans should encompass market segmentation, production plans, geographical scope, project timelines and financial viability.

 

Prize Awards

Prizes totaling $8,000 await the winning teams, with $5,000 awarded to the first-place team, $2,000 to the second-place team, and $1,000 to the third-place team. Additionally, a $2,000 award is reserved for outstanding technology design and solutions.

 

Competition Timeline

Early February 2024: Competition Announcement

March 27, 2024: Registration Deadline

May 24, 2024: Proposal Submission Deadline (four-page limit)

May 31, 2024: Public Presentation of Cases and Prize Announcement

 

Teams can register for the competition here.  For more information, visit the AIA LLC website at ai-adu.com or contact Professor Ed Coulson at ncoulson@uci.edu.

About The Paul Merage School of Business

The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine offers four dynamic MBA programs – plus PhD, specialty masters and undergraduate business degrees – that prepare business leaders for our digitally driven world. Through our programs, students acquire the exceptional ability to grow their organizations through strategic innovation, analytical decision-making, digital information technology and collaborative execution. While the Merage School is relatively young, it has quickly grown to rank consistently among the top five percent of all business programs worldwide through exceptional student recruitment, world-class faculty, a strong alumni network and close relationships with both individual business executives and global corporations. Additional information is available at merage.uci.edu.

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