Partner Article

A record-breaking festival of innovation: Northumbrian Water Group

Northumbrian Water Group
www.nwl.co.uk
LinkedIn: NWG (Northumbrian Water Group)

Northumbrian Water Group recently marked the tenth anniversary of its flagship Innovation Festival, with the milestone event once again delivering celebration, collaboration and no little creativity. Here, the organisation tells N magazine more, reflecting on a record-breaking festival and how the ideas it sparked are primed to shape the water industry of tomorrow.

The tenth iteration of Northumbrian Water’s flagship Innovation Festival came to an end in record-breaking fashion earlier this summer. But while the tents have been packed away, the hard work is only just beginning.

More than 3500 innovators, industry experts, students, businesses and creatives put their minds together at Newcastle Racecourse in July for the largest and most impactful event in the festival’s history.

What started a decade ago as an ambitious water industry experiment has grown tenfold into one of the UK’s most iconic innovation events.

The milestone festival saw four action-packed days of music, entertainment and ideas, as Newcastle Racecourse was transformed into a hub of creativity.

Innovators from sectors including utilities, local authority, technology, construction and more worked side by side in design sprints, sharing expertise, challenging traditional thinking and developing ideas designed to address some of society’s most pressing issues.

From improving river health and reducing the impact of storm overflows, the sprints also explored the potential of sustainable artificial intelligence and developing new approaches to customer support.

With scores of people on site adorned in face paint and neon clothing, the appearance reflected the atmosphere, which was alight with determination and optimism.

Teams worked at pace, filling more than 133,000 recyclable Post-it Notes with ideas, observations and solutions.

Every wall, table and workspace became a visual representation of collective creativity as participants pushed themselves to think differently and find new ways forward.

For Angela MacOscar, head of innovation at Northumbrian Water, the tenth festival represented a fitting celebration of everything the event has achieved over the last decade.

She says: “This year’s festival was simply phenomenal.

“The energy, creativity and determination from everyone involved was incredible to see, and it felt like the perfect way to celebrate ten years of the Innovation Festival.

“What has always made the festival special is the willingness of people from different organisations, backgrounds and industries to come together and tackle challenges collectively.

“This year proved once again that when passionate people unite behind a shared purpose, amazing things can happen.”

That spirit of collaboration has been the hallmark of the Innovation Festival since its launch.

Rather than relying on traditional conference formats where ideas are discussed – but rarely developed – the festival focuses on rapid innovation.

Participants work intensively in sprint teams, developing concepts that can be tested, refined and ultimately implemented after the event itself has ended – a process that is starting now.

This year generated a host of promising ideas with the potential to deliver real-world benefits.

One concept saw the creation of a rapid test-and-learn asset management innovation hub, which is set to revolutionise the way innovation can be adopted at pace.

It will help new and exciting technologies to be trialled quickly and with lower levels of risk, and could accelerate the adoption of innovations faster than ever before.

Another sprint focused on transforming capital design processes, reducing the delivery time of projects from 18 months to just one.

As expected, artificial intelligence emerged as a major theme throughout the week.

Multiple sprint teams examined how it could help organisations work smarter and better serve customers.

Among the ideas explored were applications that could improve the efficiency of water meter installations, as well as new systems capable of helping teams make faster, more informed operational decisions.

One of the ideas involved the creation of ‘synthetic audiences’ – artificial intelligence-driven models that can predict customer responses and behaviours before campaigns are launched.

Such technology could help organisations refine engagement strategies and improve participation of local communities with marketing campaigns.

Another idea set out an artificial intelligence assessment framework that scores the energy use of the technology – with ethics, human impact, value, sustainability and feasibility – before grading it from A to G like a fridge label.

While innovation was at the heart of every sprint, the festival also continued its tradition of inspiring participants through a diverse programme of guest speakers.

This year’s line-up included Britpop icon and Blur bassist Alex James, TV Gladiator and former rugby union player Jodie ‘Fury’ Ounsley, pioneering astronaut Helen Sharman and legendary ski jumper Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards.

Their stories of resilience, creativity and determination provided additional inspiration for attendees as they tackled challenges throughout the week.

The variety of speakers reflected the festival’s core philosophy that innovation can come from anywhere.

Whether from science, sport, music, business or community organisations, diverse perspectives often prove essential in generating breakthrough ideas.

Yet for Northumbrian Water, the true measure of success extends far beyond attendance figures, celebrity speakers or even the thousands of ideas generated during the week.

The real value lies in what happens next.

Many of the concepts developed at previous festivals have gone on to become funded projects, operational improvements and industry-leading initiatives, such as the National Underground Asset Register, which was adopted by the Government, as well as Smart Skies, Healthy Waters, Smart Sewers and River Deep Mountain AI.

Organisers hope this year’s ideas will follow the same path, evolving from sketches on Post-it Notes into practical solutions delivering tangible benefits for people and the environment.

Angela says: “The real success of the Innovation Festival isn’t measured by what happens during the week itself, but by what happens next.

“The ideas generated over the five days won’t stay in the sprint tents, they’ll continue to evolve, be tested and become solutions that make a real difference for customers, communities and the environment.

“Ten years on, I’m more convinced than ever that collaboration is one of the most powerful tools we have for creating positive change.

“The latest festival showed the power of ten in action.”

As the event celebrated its tenth anniversary, the record-breaking turnout and extraordinary level of participation suggest its influence is continuing to grow.

More importantly, it demonstrates that when organisations are willing to share knowledge, challenge convention and work together toward common goals, innovation can move beyond theory and become a powerful force for positive change.

Ten years after its launch, Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival remains a vivid reminder that some of the best ideas emerge when people come together and imagine a better future.

To find out more about Northumbrian Water, the services it provides and the organisation’s flagship Innovation Festival, visit the website at the top of this article.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by N Magazine .