BFM Strategy Challenge – Summer 2026
(Becoming the leader in long-distance ground transportation)
Following the success of the challenges that BFM Business and Strathena have been offering since 2018, the Strathena team has once again joined forces with the BFM Strategy programme and is offering you a new challenge throughout this summer.
This challenge was presented during today’s BFM Strategy programme, Saturday, July 4:
The best players will be invited onto the programme’s set in the autumn to present their winning strategies!
Please note that the game was offered to the first 100 players and is now included in the subscriber mode (€10/month).
Summer Challenge Overview
Your mission
This summer, we have chosen to have you play in the long-distance ground transportation sector, a market undergoing major changes following the recent opening of coach and rail transportation to competition.
We have designed a strategic segmentation for you in which eight competitors compete vigorously across eight segments:
- 4 segments simulating the high-speed rail market across 4 countries (France, Germany, Spain, Italy).
- 3 segments simulating the market for Intercity-type trains (IC), long-distance trains that do not operate at high speed.
- 1 segment simulating the long-distance coach market.
Reality is, of course, more complex, and this is only an educational game, but the playing field allows you to think about the major changes taking place in this market.
Each of the eight segments was founded by a historical player, still a leader in its market. Competition changes the balance of power and allows new entrants to establish themselves strongly, provided they have sufficient funding.
As always, resource allocation is a key decision: choosing segments that are too small limits your eventual size. Conversely, spreading yourself too thin can make you lose everything; finding the right balance is more than ever the key.
The games last 15 years, as establishing oneself in the transportation industry takes a very long time. For the sake of simplicity and to keep the game dynamic, we have not taken into account the delivery time of new trainsets, but in real life this delay is obviously an essential factor that slows down the execution of strategic decisions.
There is no limit to the number of games you can play.
Rankings of the best scores have been updated in real time since mid-July. The winners will be those who create the most value for shareholders.
This year, an additional strategic tool is available: In addition to being able to issue and buy back your shares, we have added the possibility of growing through external growth, giving each company the possibility to:
- put one or more of its divisions up for sale
- purchase divisions put up for sale by its competitors.
Game No. 1 – European rail from a challenger’s perspective In this first game, you are one of the challengers. You are one of Europe’s long-distance coach leaders and have decided to enter the high-speed rail market, which is opening up to competition, by purchasing several dozen trainsets.
Game No. 1 Board of Directors
(fictional companies and data)
The positive point is that the market is growing, and customers will favour this type of transportation, which is more environmentally friendly.
The difficulty is that there are companies that have been established for a long time and are highly experienced. Your resources are limited compared with theirs. You will have to choose where to put your money: one country? one type of transportation? a combination of the two?
You will also need to choose the right financial strategy: debt, share issues, acquisition of a competitor?
The intensity of competition means that, at a certain point in the game, competitors will start selling divisions that are no longer profitable; there will be many acquisition opportunities. Your strategy must also be well honed in this area, as it can make the difference.
Game No. 2 – European rail: you are in a leadership position
In this second game, which will be unveiled during August, you will be one of the historic leaders of the European rail market.
The opening of the rail market is an opportunity for you because you have a solid foundation, but it is also a challenge because new entrants will be coming onto your territory. One thing is certain: competition will intensify.
Some of them are smaller than you but have sometimes proven themselves in other fields close to yours. They will probably have aggressive financial strategies.
The other historic operators are also trying to take advantage of this opening to expand their territory beyond their national base.
Over each of the next 15 years ahead, you will have many difficult choices to make, but it is clear that if you make the right decisions, you will have the joy and pride of having built one of Europe’s finest companies!
One more thing: a real-time BCG matrix
You may have already noticed: for the past few days, the Strathena game has featured a new functionality that allows you to visualise your competitive positions on a graph inspired by the famous BCG matrix (in the computer and Android versions, and soon also in the iOS version).
This matrix, which is updated every virtual year, positions each of your divisions according to its relative market share and the growth rate of its segment.
It is also possible to visualise the positions of your competitors and compare them with your own.
A valuable tool to consult when making the right decisions!
BCG matrix for Game No. 2
(fictional companies and data)
Last, but not least, as a gift to our subscribers, here is a press review covering some recent strategic investment decisions made by certain players in this revolution made possible by the opening of the European rail market to competition. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive overview of the entire European rail and long-distance coach market, but simply to illustrate through a few examples the incredible dynamism of this economic sector and, we hope, to spark your interest in the game we have prepared for you!
On this subject, as we repeat at every new game session, the amounts and market shares mentioned in the game are not intended to exactly reflect the markets being simulated. Reality is, of course, far more complex, and the game has a purely educational purpose: to illustrate Xavier Fontanet’s course and to practise identifying competitive situations and making relevant strategic decisions.
It’s your turn to play now. Have a great summer everyone, and see you soon!
Xavier Fontanet
Good luck everyone!
To start a new game
. If you are on a computer: Click here
. If you are on a smartphone or tablet, download the “Strathena” mobile app from Google Play or the App Store.
