All Aboard for the Startup Cruise

On April 4th 2019, I will be stepping aboard a boat from Newhaven to Dieppe and co-facilitating the Startup Cruise. An idea inspired by our award-winning DIAL (Drop-in Action Learning) Project, thirty startups from the UK will explore the innovation and growth potential of their small businesses through a journey of discovery. Arriving in Dieppe we will be met by a cohort of French small businesses who wil lthen climb aboard and join us on the journey back to Newhaven and sharing ideas and experiences.

“Alors que le Brexit gronde !!! Un incubateur dieppois NES et un incubateur situé à Newhaven NRG ont décidé de s’unir pour créer la première croisière Start up de toute l’histoire! Rendez vous à bord est donné aux 60 Start ups françaises et anglaises qui seront accompagnés de mentors et d’investisseurs: le jeudi 4 Avril 2019″

A mix of workshop activities and guest speakers aims to inspire the entrepreneurs to reflect on their businesses and arrive at new ideas and actions for taking their startups to the next level.

At the heart of this are the many metaphors of a journey, f navigation, making maps, overcoming uncertainty and setting vision as we look towards the horizon of possibility. Inspired by our work on DIAL, the Newhaven Regeneration Group has teamed up with Normandy Ecospace. If this is successful we look to secure funding for further startup cruises in the future.

We are experimenting with the idea that fresh and innovative thinking can arise when we step away from our usual space of thinknig.In this case, a journey away from the status quo of where we live and work into new territory is a way of gaining new perspective. The metaphors of a journey and the unkwnown coujld potentially stimulate radical thinking about business.

Peer group challenge and learning have always been part of Action Learning, and this will form a part of the Startup Cruise process.

I am excited. There are plenty of research opportunities here. How do alternative meeting venues stimulate innovative thinking? What possibilities exist for small business collaboration arising from such a journey?

Newhaven as a town in in need of regeneration and the ferry could play a big role in this. There is scope for us here at Brighton to also become a player with potential funding in the future.

Participants will get to meet the captain in the bridge and learn about navigation and the importance of the horizon!

I interviewed Graham Precey from Newhaven Regeneration Group (who once did his MBA at the Business School) about what we are aiming to achieve…

And this is my own invitation for people to join..

We have used interesting off-site venues before to stimulate different thinking and inspire our students and participants. I am nit sure if we have used a large ship before (do let me know)! I will let you know how it goes. In the meantime, where did I put my life jacket?

Paul Levy, CENTRIM