INNOVATION
Focused – Andy Connolly , framework manager at Morrison Water Services , listens to a presentation at the fifth Innovation Festival .
WATER WAY TO INNOVATE
I
Innovation Festival has brilliant ideas on tap
t ’ s the festival and ideas generator that taps into water expertise from across the globe .
Bringing together experts from throughout the water industry , the fifth Innovation Festival – sponsored by Morrison Water Services and the Northumbrian Water Group - drove intriguing conversations and eye-opening discussions around the water industry , with a key focus on leakage prevention .
The festival , hosted at the Common Room in Newcastle , ran for five days and was centred around its flagship event , the design sprint : Water Wonders – Prevention is better than the cure !
Alongside the design sprint , in which participants were encouraged to come up with a solution for tackling water leakage , the festival included a range of activities and presentations that facilitated innovative collaboration .
Underpinning the discussions and presentations of the week was the theme of sustainable leakage reduction . Leakage is a constant challenge within the water industry because it ’ s expensive , timeconsuming , disruptive and can cause significant carbon outputs . Teams were therefore encouraged to consider how a move can be made from reactive leakage repairs to preventative leakage prediction .
The discussions around leakage prevention resulted in lots of encouraging and intriguing ideas being shared . Attendees looked at how proactively preparing for leaks , rather than reacting to them , can lead to a range of benefits for clients and customers . Better preparation is a more costeffective solution , avoiding damage costs , and is far less disruptive to customers . Leaks can often lead to customers being left without a water supply for an extended period , whereas predicting leakage allows clients to prepare an adequate solution or alternative in time .
Throughout the week , a range of talks and collaboration sessions invited attendees to consider the role of innovation within the water industry . From interviews with industry experts to collaborative brainstorming , pressing challenges of the water industry were addressed , all with the aim of forming innovative solutions that would help create a more sustainable water industry .
One of the key events of the week was a discussion panel featuring the festival sponsors , on which Mike Scott Paul , head of creative thinking , represented Morrison Water Services . Mike gave a short talk on the capabilities of Morrison Water Services and the wider M Group Services Water Division , as well as the water industry and the challenge of finding a sustainable solution to leakage .
Andy Carter , director of IT , innovation and improvement , said : “ The Innovation Festival was a great success which facilitated some outstanding
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