Utility Week

36 | JUNE 2021 | UTILITY WEEK The challenges tackled by UW Innovate will include: • Creating the conditions for innovation • Achieving net zero • Delivering a smart energy network • Delivering a smart water network • Transforming eld operations • Delivering system flexibility & the EV rollout • Managing, maintaining and planning for assets • Improving wastewater treatment & resource recovery • Delivering the smart meter rollout • Managing bad debt & collections UW Innovate will be available free to all utilities professionals, with further insight and analysis available for Utility Week members. Utility Week champions collaborative innovation with new online hub W elcome to Utility Week Innovate, a new section of the magazine and hub housed on Utility Week's website, designed to champion and facilitate collaborative innovation. UW Innovate brings together industry best practice on the biggest challenges facing the UK's water and energy businesses. It also tracks the progress of innova- tion projects funded by energy and water regulators Ofgem and Ofwat, and facilitates the sharing of learn- ings between utility sectors. It contains three channels, covering energy, energy networks, and water in detail, each with a regular programme of content; dedicated email updates; and virtual and live events. UW Innovate is guided by an editorial board of Utility Week Innovators, individuals from the technical and operational functions of UK utilities who are leading change from within. Utility Week portfolio director Ellen Bennett said: "Utilities need innovation – urgently and collectively – to meet the challenges of the future. The demands of the UK's stretching net-zero targets and environmental concerns around water eƒ ciency and quality, coupled with the post-Covid recovery, demand new ways of work- ing. The regulators are supporting this with the Network Innovation Competitions and the Water Innovation Fund (we look at some competition winners, p30) – and we at Utility Week are delighted to play our part with the launch of UW Innovate. "Following consultation with our audiences and industry stakeholders, we have created this new resource, which will be available to everyone in the industry, to champion collaborative innovation. UW Innovate will share best practice within and between utilities and inspire professionals to discover new ways of solving the most pressing business challenges – particularly those associated with achieving net zero targets, and other environmental goals." UW Innovate is the new home of WWT, Utility Week's sister brand, bringing the great content and community of WWT with it. UW Innovate is closely aligned with Utility Week Live, the utility industry's annual exhibition, connecting utilities professionals with the innovation to solve their business challenges. Its launch follows Utility Week Live Summit, a bold and innovative virtual event held in May. The high level, exclusive event attracted more than 600 registrations from technical and operational profession- als at the UK's energy and water businesses, leading the charge on critical business challenges from wastewater treatment to the smart meter rollout. The event saw a stellar line up of high-level speak- ers, record levels of engagement from attendees, plus insights shared at a series of "challenge workshops", where professional facilitators supported delegates in re-framing long-standing business challenges to • nd fresh solutions. These valuable insights have been captured by Utility Week's editorial team, and are being shared via a series of Challenge Reports, to be published over the coming weeks on UW Innovate. UW Innovate will showcase innovative start-ups; include interviews with frontline leaders and pioneers from other geographies, sectors and the supply chain; and house a host of educational content in an online resource library. See UW Innovate at wwwutilityweek.co.uk and check your settings or register to receive the new Innovate newslettters. "UW Innovate will inspire professionals to discover new ways of solving the most pressing business challenges." ELLEN BENNETT, UTILITY WEEK PORTFOLIO DIRECTOR

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