Daventry House

Daventry House Limited is the private company of Neil Rathbone, a management consultant specialising in research, technology, innovation and enterprise.

Research, technology, innovation, enterprise, and economic development

It is well understood that technological development goes hand-in-hand with economic performance at all levels from superpower to municipality. However, the mechanisms of public intervention, the nature of technology transfer to industry and other end-users, plus the innovative and entrepreneurial culture that creates a receptive environment, are not so well understood.

It is clear that the ‘linear’ model of research leading to technology, leading in turn to wealth creation is wrong, despite its continued use. There is now an emerging understanding of the many factors that affect the harnessing of technology for wealth creation, and the complexity of the interactions between those factors. It is clear that public policy has to address far more than just research. Indeed, some of the most successful economies in the world are low on research creation, while some of the most inventive fail to capitalise on their knowledge.

Technology creation and adoption has been happening naturally for 5,000 years since stone-age man became the first materials technologist. The role of public intervention is to accelerate the process, to make it more efficient, and to reap the advantages in a way that is both economically and socially beneficial. In order to achieve this it is necessary to understand the existing culture of the citizen and the existing economic and social mechanisms and processes that can be used to good effect. As we understand it more, it becomes clear that the creation and application of technology is more like an organic or even chaotic system, the controls of which are to be found in unexpected places. The simple transplanting of ‘best practice’ does not take this into account and so schemes that have worked in one place and time often fail when copied, just as a specific plant may thrive in light or shade, so each initiative has to be chosen to fit its environment.

Daventry House offers the ability to analyse and understand the environment as well as the latest world knowledge and best practice in the what, how, where and why of public policy and intervention in science, research, technology, innovation, and enterprise; from research funding and technology transfer, to enterprise creation, financing, and incubation.

Management and development of SMEs

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises face many problems that are a consequence of their size. Administrative ‘red tape’ is a disproportionately heavier burden on a company with few or no internal administrative staff; technological development can present a ‘step function’ investment that is beyond the resources available; and the company can be reliant on the performance of a few key individuals. Smaller companies do not have the luxury of a department being able to focus on one single task. Each initiative may involve the whole operation, and each employee may have to adopt multiple roles.

However, smaller companies are also fast-thinking and fast reacting. If they are well structured, financed, motivated, and managed, they can achieve amazing growth and wealth creation, as well as surviving catastrophic setbacks through the dedication, adaptability, and sheer will power of their people.

Such SME companies (officially those with less than 250 employees) make up 99% of all European companies and generate around two-thirds of GDP and employment. More importantly, most new jobs are created by SMEs. Thus they are important to government, to the public, as well as to shareholders.

While major companies look good on employee CVs (and management consultant client lists), it is the smaller company with growth prospects that is the most exciting challenge, and where the individual can make the biggest impact and career progression.

Start-up and high-growth companies face particular challenges, and failure rates are high. Using external knowledge and experience can reduce this risk. Many companies repeat the failures of others – inadequate start-up capitalisation, lack of contingency planning, outgrowing management systems. Managements cannot be expected to deal adequately with situations for which they have no prior training or experience.

Daventry House provides consultancy on an individual basis to high-growth SMEs, and provides advice to those who want to interface to such SMEs and help them achieve success. We advocate the concept of non-executive directors in SMEs to bring experience, contacts, and independence on a shot-term basis to help companies through the painful times.

Light aviation, technology and regulation

Technology and regulation are deeply affecting light aviation. Flying as we know it is just over a century old, but the last decade has seen a rapid acceleration of technology with the widespread introduction of composite materials, satellite navigation, and digital avionics as well as more advanced turbine and diesel power plants. At the same time, the harmonisation process of the European Union is affecting aircraft certification, pilot licensing, airspace, and air traffic control. Social aspects such as security, noise, air pollution, safety, and transport congestion have brought all forms of aviation into various public and media spotlights. In addition, increasing litigation and liability insurance have actually halted manufacturing of world-famous brands.

Light aviation is a major part of the aviation scene. There are in fact more light aircraft in Europe than commercial jets. The sector encompasses traditional small powered aircraft, micolights, gliders, balloons, parascenders and parachutes. Each of these has, in turn, its sub-divisions – for example microlights can be weight-shift or three-axis while gliders can be motor gliders, which come in touring, self-launching, and self-sustaining types. Each type has major differences in their method of operation. It is not only the aircraft themselves that are varied, but the flying too presents a wide range of interests, from business travellers, through to pure sport flying in competitions.

Light aviation is an industry that contributes significantly to the economy. In some countries the local airfield enjoys massive support, sometimes extending to public subsidy, in order to have the economic advantages it brings. Light aviation provides the training ground for future airline pilots. It even offers the potential to help solve the seemingly intractable problem of road congestion if the advances in design and technology can make flying as easy as driving.

However, the regulatory environment has not adapted well to the introduction of new types of flying and new technologies. While the technological changes present largely opportunities, they can easily be lost if regulation is not appropriate. Many anomalies and compromises have emerged as slow-moving and consensual regulatory mechanisms try to grapple with issues that have implications ranging from commercial passenger transport to the sport parachutist. In some areas, the potential exists for devolution of light aviation to sports bodies, and there is good experience of this in the UK. However, all aircraft must share the same airspace and radio spectrum, and so there is no escaping the requirement for a single system for these aspects.

While no one would like to see the heavy hand of regulation stifle light aviation, there is the need to preserve safety, which underpins the main need for regulation, based on practicalities and actual experience. There are examples in the US, who lead the world in aviation exports, where the regulatory authorities, the aircraft and avionics manufacturers, and the pilot bodies are working together to re-engineer the environment towards an integrated system in order to stimulate light aviation. By contrast, in the UK the effect of increasing regulation and cost has led to the adoption of a new ‘national’ license in reaction to the increasing cost and complexity of a harmonised ‘European’ one. The EU faces the problem that if it does not find a way to regulate the diverse field of light aviation with an appropriately light touch, then it will damage the European aviation industry, and expose us to American competition based on a vibrant home market.

While this is a new field for the company, Daventry House is interested in analysing the roles and requirements of all forms of light aviation and investigating how the interplay of technology and regulation with the economic, safety, and social aspects could lead us into the future.

Contact Information

Tel: +44 1664 852614

Fax: +44 1664 852615