United Utilities Innovation Lab launches call-out for businesses for fourth accelerator programme
by Startacus Admin
United Utilities seeking suppliers with innovative solutions to help the water sector serve its customers better and improve performance for latest Innovation Lab programme
United Utilities, the North West England water firm has just launched its fourth Innovation Lab - the pioneering 12 week accelerator programme.
Partnering once again with corporate innovation specialist, L Marks, the United Utilities’ Innovation Lab 4.0 aims to provide even more innovative businesses with the opportunity to test, develop, improve and demonstrate their great ideas.
Since the UK is hosting the COP26 global summit on climate change this year, United Utilities is particularly keen to hear new ideas on net zero and natural solutions.
The focus of this year’s programme is on suppliers with innovative solutions to help the water sector serve its customers better and improve performance in the following areas:
- Digital network business: to help the network of water and wastewater assets to be fully connected digitally and move to the next level, including bringing information and data from internal and external sources together, connecting legacy assets, and aligning it with the company’s digital strategy and system.
- Energy efficiency: to help improve the company’s data aggregation including how it pulls data from existing sources, compiles that data and in turn operationalises the insights it obtains to initiate changes.
- Net zero and Natural solutions: whilst the long term mission is to net zero, solutions that can help the business manage and reduce the impact it has right now are being sought. A wide range of topics fall into this category including biodiversity, natural flood management and community engagement to name but a few
- Wildcard: any technology or solution that could transform any aspect of United Utilities business is being sought in this category - whether that’s improving its productivity, how it does things or how it can ensure it is a great place to work.
As you’d expect, places on the programme are extremely coveted with only 8 applicants being selected to take part. During the programme, those 8 successful applicants are co-located and work hand-in-glove with United Utilities to test, develop, improve and demonstrate their product/service offering in a live customer environment over a 12-week period.
In addition, they will get unprecedented access to subject matter experts and senior leaders. In previous labs, success in the programme has led to long-term commercial partnerships and ongoing product development..
Further info on the programme and the key challenge areas can be found on the Innovation Lab website and if you’re interested in applying, you’ve got until 14:00GMT on September 17th, 2021 to do so.
It’s such a fab opportunity so best of luck to all of you who apply!
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Published on: 13th August 2021
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