ND-US Competes
The University of Notre Dame (ND) - United States (U.S.) Competitiveness Program is a collaboration between the Mendoza College of Business and Industry Labs. The Program explores how Notre Dame graduate students can take the lead in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship through acquisition efforts, with a focus on strategic U.S. competitiveness and aligned with Notre Dame's mission. Target areas include defense contracting, onshore manufacturing, and entrepreneurship through acquisition. The program emphasizes participation from Notre Dame active duty and military veteran graduate students and alumni.
Events
The ND-US Competitiveness Program hosts events that bring together students, alumni, Northern Indiana manufacturing executives, and subject matter experts in defense contracting and entrepreneurship through acquisition.
Next program event: Coming soon - November 2026
Manufacturing Externships
Mendoza Master of Business Administration (MBA) students, with an emphasis on active-duty service members and veterans, are placed in externships with regional manufacturers where they help companies identify and bid on defense contracting opportunities.
Entrepreneurship through Acquisition
The program helps graduate students to explore if Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) is the right path for them, and connect them to resources within the Notre Dame network to support ETA searches and acquisitions.
The University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business and Industry Labs team up to inspire national security manufacturing competitiveness in the region
The South Bend - Elkhart Region is full of manufacturing companies that are poised to grow, and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of Notre Dame are finding innovative ways to contribute to that growth.
Earlier this year, Notre Dame’s Industry Labs and the Mendoza College of Business joined together to kick off the Notre Dame - U.S. Competitiveness Initiative. This pilot program brings together the Notre Dame EMBA and MBA programs, Northern Indiana companies, and manufacturing in areas that are critical to government priorities and national security.