River Canal Rescue case study
A business described as ‘the AA for canal boats’ is ready to roll out innovative new technology after developing new ideas with Keele University.
River Canal Rescue – which won the Leading Innovation Award at the university’s 2023 Breaking The Mould awards thanks to its pioneering research and new products, including hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems for boats – worked with Keele on business models, marketing, testing and prototype development.
Operations director J Forman was invited to spend six months at Keele in 2022 to work with academics on the business’s strategic direction and pioneering projects.
The Stafford-based company, which was founded 25 years ago, has introduced CMS databases, electronic mapping, app-based customer account systems, fuel treatments, telematics, towing tools and remote monitoring systems – all of which have placed them at the forefront of their industry.
J said: “We are like the AA for canal boats - we offer peace of mind that there is a company that can be relied upon for breakdown and recovery. That is the core of our business but we have also branched into other areas to support our customers and the boating community.
“RCR is committed to staying at the cutting edge of technological advancements, as our capability to repair any form of propulsion is crucial. Being actively involved in the development of new technologies not only reinforces our position as a leading service provider in the industry but also opens up new revenue streams when these products hit the market - opportunities that are rare in niche sectors like ours.”
The team worked with Keele to come up with new ideas and plan how to bring them to market, including looking at the pricing structure.
J was supported by David Lowe, one of the University's Entrepreneurs in Residence. Speaking of his time supporting RCR, David said: "J had a clear line of sight on what he wanted to achieve from the programme in terms of getting new products and services to market, with the company being on a good trajectory to achieve ambitious but sustainable growth.
"Together, we were able to embed a robust and well-tested strategic plan into the company, setting a trajectory that was well understood across the board, with everyone in the team buying into the idea and knowing what was expected of them.
"Consequently, RCR have achieved their objectives far quicker than they perhaps anticipated before J joined the programme."
J, who hopes to introduce an internal AI system and quantum computing to the business in the future, said: “Academics have such wide experience and knowledge that is not attached to a particular industry, and we developed several key ideas with Keele's team, which we hope to implement once the technology becomes established.
“I would definitely recommend getting in touch with Keele to anyone who is coming up with innovative ideas, especially if it’s something that hasn’t been done before.”
