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NETWORK / 16 / NOVEMBER 2019 INNOVATION The future starts here Smaller innovators will be vitally important to the UK utilities sector if it is to meet it's 2050 net-zero deadline, writes Denise Massey, managing director of the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC). Luckily, a new generation of innovators are making their mark, as evidenced at the EIC's UK Energy Innovation Awards – nine winners are profiled here. I n June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass laws creating a binding com - mitment reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a•er passing amendments to the Climate Change Act 2008. This target is a challenge that affects all UK industries, but especially the utilities sector where decarboni - sation is not only a pressing but an extremely complex issue. We know that improving and decarbonising the way energy is transported, delivered and consumed is crucial to achiev - ing the net-zero target. However, there isn't a silver bullet for meeting the challenges. As utili- ties operators strive to reduce carbon emissions, there is also a balance that needs to be met when it comes to providing the continued quality and cost- efficient services customers are demanding. Time may not be on our side when it comes to climate change. In fact, globally, we must reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest in order to prevent the conse - quences of just a 2 °C increase in the Earth's temperature globally. To begin to combat this, across the utilities sector, we must increase the pace of innovation, moving away from stand-alone projects and trials and to- wards full deployment of new technologies and processes that will facilitate necessary change within the industry. This isn't just a priority for the Energy Innovation Cen- tre (EIC) – the government's Energy Data Task Force's recent recommendations focussed on facilitating innovation through digitalising the system and creating open data sets to help innovators understand the industry, and to tailor their products and services to meet our needs. Necessity is a good mum What's more, this need for inno- vation cannot be met by the big players within the sector alone. To make a real impact, the sec- tor needs to forge ever stronger, collaborative and transparent partnerships with the UK's many expert innovators to bring the new perspectives and skills needed to support the chang- ing nature of the industry. It's never been more important to nurture and harness the collec- tive power of this innovation ecosystem. The EIC not only strives to support this, but to deliver on its own mission, which is to drive social progress, improve the quality of people's lives, and secure a safe, affordable and sustainable future. What's more, it not only recognises the im - portance of innovation, but also the fact that innovation must become industry standard – or "business as usual". We need innovation to not only change the way we do things in the utilities sector, but also to drive the necessary behaviour change among networks and their customers, in order to fulfilling the aims of the decarbonisation agenda. Nurturing UK innovation The EIC believes that to support and nurture the innovation the utilities sector needs, it's important that great ideas are highlighted as exemplars to the wider sector. Part of how we do this is through hosting the UK Energy Innovation Awards every two years. Not only does this showcase the excellent work of innovators tackling industry challenges, as demonstrated by our list of winners (see right), but it continues to build confi - dence that the utility businesses are truly open to innovative ideas. The sector is also partner- ing with smaller businesses and supporting them to bring their innovations to commercial real- ity. As a result, the industry is making great strides that would once have been inconceivable. For innovators, it allows them the credibility to forge new partnerships within the indus - try, keeping innovation at the forefront. While the culture within the industry is certainly changing, now is not the time to slow down. We must continue to work together to accelerate the pace of change – to actively explore innovation, to create openness within the industry, to leverage data and other emerg - ing technologies – in order to create the new utility systems of the future.