Powering Innovation with the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme

Who are they?

The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub supports talented entrepreneurs and decision makers to transform breakthrough engineering innovations into disruptive spinouts, startups and scaleups. We partnered with them to support the delivery of the Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme. Together, our focus over three years was on nurturing and accelerating the growth of 90 participating innovation businesses that are driving positive change in the world.

Academy research identified a critical need to enhance the leadership capabilities and organisational culture within Britain’s engineering scaleup ecosystem. Participants on the programme were selected from high-growth businesses engaged in groundbreaking innovations.

Our brief: to deliver targeted development modules to cultivate impactful leadership and foster a positive workplace culture, enabling business growth.

Solution

Over the course of three years, we had the privilege of working with the Academy to deliver customised People and Culture modules to all participants in the Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme. Our approach centred around providing cutting-edge and evidence-based curriculum, practical insights, hands-on coaching, and tailored exercises to address the unique challenges faced by leaders in rapidly growing and innovative enterprises.

We delivered four bespoke half day workshops for each cohort, each adapted from our ScaleUp Institute endorsed HorizonMethod curriculum covering:

Talent Management:

• Identifying and attracting top talent.
• Developing strategies for talent retention and career growth.
• Building a culture of continuous learning and skill development.

My Leader Self:

• Self-awareness and emotional intelligence for effective leadership.
• Personal leadership styles and their impact on team dynamics.
• Strategies for personal and professional growth.

Diversity and Inclusion:

• Creating inclusive workplaces that celebrate diversity.
• Leveraging diverse perspectives for innovation.
• Addressing unconscious bias and fostering a culture of belonging.

Leading a Rapidly Growing Team:

• Strategies for scaling leadership in a high-growth environment.
• Balancing agility and stability in leadership practices.
• Building resilient teams that can adapt to change.

Programme Implementation

The modules were delivered through a combination of interactive workshops and online resources. Real-world case studies and practical exercises were integrated to ensure participants could apply the concepts directly to their organizational contexts with effective and immediate results.

“It’s game changing – they are incredibly good at what they do, they get straight to the point, and make it their point to understand what stage the company is at, what you are doing well and where you need to step up to achieve your growth plans.”

Holly Reeve, CEO, HydRegen 

“Thank you for delivering these outstanding and insightful workshops. I truly enjoyed every single one of them, and took a lot from each and every session.” 

Ashkan Kavei, Engineering Lead, RFC Power

Impact:

Our collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering on the Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme showcased the transformative power of targeted People and Culture modules in powering leaders and fostering positive workplace cultures. 

We made significant impact by supporting tangible uplifts in:

Enhanced Leadership Skills:

• Participants reported a marked improvement in their leadership capabilities, citing increased self-awareness and a better understanding of effective leadership practices.

Cultivation of Positive Organisational Culture:

• Companies experienced a shift towards more inclusive and collaborative cultures, fostering an environment where diverse ideas flourished.

Tangible Business Growth:

• Several participant businesses stepped up leadership and in turn achieved remarkable business results – increased revenue, expanded market presence, and successful product launches.

Sustainable Impact:

• The skills and insights gained by participants proved to have a lasting impact, contributing to the long-term success and sustainability of the businesses involved.

“I loved the no waste time approach to immediate feedback (that was super). People are always the hardest but most rewarding part of the job!”

Marco Ghibaudi, Riverlane

We take immense pride in the pro bono contribution we have made in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering. This partnership has not only allowed us to uphold our commitment to delivering value for growth businesses but has also given us the privilege to support and witness the transformative journey of innovative ideas that have the power to change the world.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Royal Academy of Engineering for entrusting us with this collaboration. It has been a great honour to be part of this initiative, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to fostering innovation and positive change. Together, we have made a difference, and we are excited about the lasting impact these growth businesses will have on society.

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Horizon37 designs and delivers leadership programmes for exec teams and individuals ready to step-up their leadership, enabling them to succeed in breaking new ground.

Get in touch to hear more and discover our programmes.