Water & Wastewater Treatment

www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | June 2014 | 41 Digging deeper Innovation 'critical' in new era for water sector I nnovation is a much-used buzzword in the water sector. Getting to the root of what it actually means strategically and opera- tionally for the industry was the reason delegates gathered at Birmingham's Holi- day Inn last month for the WWT Water Industry Innovation Conference. From technical advances to changing cus- tomer expectations, legislative drivers to fresh management approaches, innovation touches on them all. But, however you interpret it, delegates and speakers at this year's conference, sponsored by npower and WRc, were all agreed it is a key concept for an industry on the verge of some very big changes. Sonia Phippard, director of water and flood risk management at Defra said a new era was coming. "Government's role in the water sector is very much one of setting the framework. We can be a barrier to innovation but I am sure we can also encourage innovation and where possible be an enabler." She said the Water Act, which received royal assent on May 14, will remove many barriers to change and make innovation "critical." The financial case As well as potentially improving services, in- novation is also an important way of increasing revenue – particularly if UK water companies play a part in developing products which can be sold in international markets. Mark Lane, chair of the UKWRIP working group on business and the economy said the UK has a good reputation for practice and research but currently only has 3% of the global market for water innovation products and services. It means, according to Lane, that there are huge opportunities to be gained. The UK's 3% share of the market is currently worth £1.5BN a year and employs 15,000 people. Increasing this to just 10% by 2030 would make it worth £8.8BN a year and raise the number of jobs to 71,000. However, UKWRIP's report 'Tapping the Potential' estimates the UK industry has three years to catch up with the global market - or risks falling behind. One key area for innovation is exploring the energy/water nexus more thoroughly. Ian Walker, innovation director for conference sponsor WRc stressed the importance of finding new ways to capture energy from waste – both for environ- mental and economic reasons. He said: "We are still celebrating a process that is essentially throwing energy away." However, says Walker, "figures suggest the The day included a lively mix of keynote sessions, panel debates and a Dragons' Den style technology pitch industry is taking innovation seriously" as WRc research shows R&D spend in the water sector is currently £50-£60M a year and is expected to increase to £80 - £90M per year over the next five years. The rising number of Phd students spe- cialising in water is also a good sign, he added. Technological advances are a key innovation driver and delegates at this year's conference heard many examples of emerging technologies. Dr Bernard Bulkin non-executive director of Ludgate Investments said advances in biotech, IT, engineering and neuroscience were all rel- evant to the industry. While applications in other industries could point the way for the water industry – liquid scanning technology at airport security, for example, could in future be used by the water industry to detect pollutants Agreeing with Ian Walker, Dr Bulkin pointed particularly to breakthroughs in anaerobic diges- tion, which will make it increasingly easier to re- lease the energy in waste streams such as sludge. The theme continued in a Dragons' Den style session, where Michael Murray from NVP Energy A growing population, a shi to single-person households and questions about affordability will all put pressure on water companies Keith Mason Ofwat

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