As an engineer, I marvel at the great utilities infrastructure achievements of the 19th century. Joseph Bazagette’s accomplishment in the 1860’s of London’s extensive underground sewerage system still stands as a great piece of innovation.
Historically the UK has a strong record of achievement in technology and innovation deployed through large infrastructure projects and it is good to see recognition of the levels of investment required across the utilities sector in new infrastructure projects which will prepare us for the next 100 years.
Read Utility Week’s Innovation report, including this column, here: http://read.utilityweek.co.uk/i/512337-innovation-report
As with Bazagette, there is opportunity today for technology breakthrough in many of these new projects. However, building new infrastructure is not enough in its own right to ensure overall success in this changing world of commercial expectations and environmental change.
Searching for new innovative ideas and technologies across the supply chain has become essential. There are some great technology projects within the sector – in water, energy, lighting, waste – but, in isolation, they are not enough.
Based on what is happening in other sectors I would question whether there is sufficient interaction between companies in the utilities sector. I’d also question the level whether there is a sufficient interaction between companies and the research base and whether Government is playing the best role it can, as lead customer, to drive innovation through the supply chain.
There is much specialism focused around procurement in the utilities supply chain; driving ever more demanding levels of efficiency and reduced cost. But I would ask whether the focus on aligning for optimal efficiency has been a to the detriment of broad-based innovation.
The key to innovation in the supply chain is collaboration.
There are some great schemes available to the sector to support collaboration – and it isn’t always about funding. The Knowledge Transfer Network provides great opportunities for networking and identifying communal commercial opportunities and InnovateUK provides funding opportunities to support SME’s through a variety of mechanisms.
These programmes provide an excellent opportunity for larger companies to identify new collaboration opportunities within SME and start-up communities across sectors – from manufacturing to digital. The utilities sector needs to find effective ways of utilising the developments in these other areas for its own advantage and resilience.
The utilities sector also needs to find effective ways of engaging with the research base. This is important from both a skills development and a research perspective. The National Centre for University and Business (NCUB) provides some compelling examples of business and universities working well together, including the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme. Now, NCUB is building a brokerage platform to help introduce businesses to the right universities for them and I encourage the utilities to participate.
Investment in infrastructure is vital but is not enough. Collaboration with the supply chain – including the research base – will bring a more joined up approach to investment and innovation It will build more effective vertical links between with the small technology-focused businesses feeding the sector. It will also open horizontal lines of access to cross cutting, value-creating ideas.