INNOVATION
The design sprint had a different focus for each day of the festival :
Day one : Brainstorm – teams discussed possible solutions to the challenge of dealing with leakage in the water industry .
Day two : Sketching – teams mapped out their ideas , turning them from day one ’ s brainstorm into visualised concepts .
Day three : Mapping and Planning – after their research , planning and creative collaboration , the teams mapped out and planned a sustainable solution for leakage prevention .
Day four : Prototype Build – the final day of the sprint consisted of the teams putting their ideas into practice , building prototypes and receiving feedback from their peers .
Following the design sprint , the most viable solution to the challenge of preventing leakage was deemed to be VariSim Delta - an innovative digital technology Morrison Water Services has led the way with in the UK .
VariSim Delta is a digital twin technology that provides a live visualisation of a pipe network , with up-to-date information on the status of the network , and has successfully been utilised on Morrison Water Services ’ Thames Water contract . By creating a real-time digital replica of physical assets , it can be utilised to ensure that water networks function at optimal levels .
Teamwork – Trying to find solutions to the problem of water leakage .
Drawing board – Linda Harrison maps out her ideas .
Sticking point – Ana Gaspar takes a lead in the discussions .
collaboration and sharing of ideas . Throughout the week we were joined by industry experts who offered exciting and innovative solutions to some of the most pressing industry challenges . It was a great , and rare , opportunity to get away from the day-to-day and get creative with our colleagues across the water sector and beyond .
“ Our design sprint was a keynote event of the week , posing a question which is prevalent for Morrison Water Services , its clients and the water industry as a whole . As well as this , the guest speakers , activities and panels throughout the week enabled attendees to come together to share ideas which could help shape the future of our industry .
“ Thank you to the Northumbrian Water Group for hosting such an engaging and thought-provoking event . As a relatively new client of ours , operating in a new region for us , this was a great opportunity for us to collaborate and share innovative ideas with our colleagues . It is through events like this that we can continuously improve our offering for customers in the North-East .”
Northumbrian Water ’ s Innovation Festival is described by organisers as “ the mashing together of innovation techniques like design thinking and data hacks with a British Summer Festival ”.
Since it began in 2017 , it has attracted innovators from across the globe to its mix of “ virtual sprints , hacks and dashes aimed at solving real-world issues and big societal problems ”.
For 2021 , a new hybrid format was used , mixing both physical and virtual events including celebrity lightning talks , networking events , live tech demos , music , comedy and more .
Panel – Delegates in Newcastle ’ s stunning Common Room .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 91