Anglian Water has set out plans to expand its Shop Window, the company’s Newmarket test bed for innovation, to trial its projects with one million customers before company-wide adoption.
The programme, which started in 2015, has proved successful and will now extend to coastal areas of west Norfolk, south to Cambridge and including surrounding towns and villages.
Anglian said growing the reach to various geographies across a larger cross section of its region means ideas and solutions can be tested on a broader range of infrastructure.
Past projects such as smart metering, mobile sludge thickening technology and smart water system strategies were developed in the Shop Window before being rolled out across the region.
Projects will be accelerated within the programme include exploring ways to ensure resilient and intelligent water supply; exceeding customer expectations; supporting the environment; tackling climate change; unlocking efficiency; and enabling the workforce of the future.
Chair of the newly formed Shop Window management board, Fionn Boyle, described the project as an incubator for implementing ideas for the future of the business.
He said: “This new approach will increase the scope we have to test and trial new ways of working as well as the latest technologies. Together this means we can gather deeper insight across all these areas that will support our knowledge, help accelerate innovation in the future and give us confidence in future investment decisions.”
The board comprises members of Anglian’s Future Leaders board as well as company directors. It was formed to put responsibility in the hands of those who will be managing the business in the future.
Jointly the board has responsibility for all assets, operations and investment in the area.