School of Entrepreneurship & Business
The Crystal Room Corporate Venture Network
The Launch and Setting of Objectives
The Corporate Ventures Network (CVN) was launched in March 2006 with a view to bringing corporate knowledge and expertise across Essex and beyond to work with academia, and to develop a novel platform of networking activities concerned with:
- raising awareness of the critical role played by corporations (and the larger organisation) in promoting new ventures;
- academia and corporations working together to fuel regional economic growth opportunities through new ventures;
- academia and corporations working together to investigate new opportunities for corporate spin-offs and ‘skunk work’ activities to promote innovation;
- exploring ways in which both (with others) could augment corporate entrepreneurship through research, management development programmes and related activities, involving business executives, academic staff, students and other stakeholders; and
- the network members working together to establish international platforms for new business creation opportunities, spin-off activities, technology and knowledge transfer and research, involving partners in growing economies around the world.
Initial Activities and Developments
A number of the network members have since been involved in SEB events. Their expertise in fields such as venture capital and marketing has offered an added dimension to the student learning experience and SEB’s research interests. SEB has also established its own Venture Academy, for which a launch event was held in November 2006, to offer support to new and growing businesses seeking venture funding from business angels and venture capitalists for their early developments. This novel event, the first of its kind, received considerable support from members of the CVN. Other events have covered topical issues for business including Project Management, which drew on the support of SEB’s Project Management Foundation Degree programme and its corporate students, the Association of Project Management, and KPMG Consultants.
