OU student flying high with RSE fellowship

Claudio Marturano, studying for a Master of Business Administration, has become the first Open University student to win a prestigious Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) enterprise fellowship. Claudio, who lives in Greenock, impressed judges with his plans to develop an online learning management system for aviation maintenance personnel.

The £4m Unlocking Ambition Challenge is delivered by key stakeholders from Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem as part of the Scotland CAN DO initiative, backed by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

The programme provides funding support to 40 highly ambitious entrepreneurs chosen for their individual potential, the quality of their ideas and the contribution their companies can make to the Scottish economy and wider society. 

There are two programmes within the Unlocking Ambition Challenge: both are focused on supporting innovative, purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

The RSE Enterprise Fellowship programme is for 20 earlier stage start-ups who will be hosted by a number of Scottish Universities or Research Institutes led by the RSE and the second programme - a scaling development programme for 20 successful SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) - is led by Scottish Enterprise.

By coming together, the 40 participants will benefit from mentorship from established and successful entrepreneurs and business advisors, networking opportunities and peer-to-peer support.

The 20 RSE Unlocking Ambition Enterprise Fellows, including Claudio (pictured above left), will benefit from a tailored business development training delivered to the highest standard of international excellence and significant business development budget enabling them to bring their propositions to market. 

Claudio and his company Nubis Aviation Training Ltd. will also be supported by The Open University in Scotland.

More information about the RSE Unlocking Ambition Enterprise Fellowship programme is available here.

Find out more about The OU’s triple-accredited MBA here.

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