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NETWORK / 32 / MAY 2017 opment outfits. This, and similar issues, mean opportunities for innovation are oen missed. Aer a number of bad experi- ences, Peter Wilson, technical director at INVC, still thinks carefully before he submits proposals to networks directly. "Quite oen, depending on the size of the organisation, I won't even bother with a proposal be- cause I think it's not going to be worth my while to spend several man-days just going to meetings and phoning people up." Wilson identifies instances of days lost to filling in online forms for procurement and describes much of the effort as a "waste of time and money". However, he had more luck when giving a presentation at an event organised by the Energy Innovation Centre – an event designed to bring net- works and SMEs together. "They worked out whether we potentially had the right skills and ideas," he explains, "then at the presentation it wasn't just procurement people but also the people that were actually on site, so all the ques- tions could be answered there and then and not dragged out over three months." He says the principal advantage of such a process is the ability to communicate with those at the network company who would be implementing any solution. Innovation needs This, as Helen Cross, marketing manager at the EIC explains, is the organisation's purpose: "We work with [networks] to un- derstand what their innovation needs are and then we go out to our SME community and try to help them find the solutions." Acting as a conduit between the electricity and gas networks – who provide its funding – and the SME community, the EIC runs a series of pitch events focused on particular areas of interest for the sector while also working on an individual basis with each side to ease access. Wilson's experience is not uncommon, Cross concedes: "They want things to move quickly and they're used to dealing with people directly, but when they're dealing with net- works it's a much more involved process." Providing better com- munication with the networks while also acting as a "champi- oning voice" on their behalf, is what the EIC seeks to do. More successful Professor Gary Stevens at Gnosys Global, has found the EIC process significantly more successful than approaching the networks directly. "The EIC does present a very positive mecha- nism to provide good, strong innovation input to future net- work developments and current network operations." And it is not just the SME community that is feeling the benefits. "Gas people, and I think people in almost any in- dustry, tend to look within their own circle of contacts," explains Richard Hynes-Cooper, head of innovation at Northern Gas Networks (NGN). "What the EIC allows us to do is fill out a call for innova- tion to the wider market and SMEs and basically say: 'We have a problem, these are the constraints we have, we'd like to invite you to come in and sug- gest potential solutions.'" Return on investment Through this process, Hynes- Cooper has identified a number of SMEs – including INVC, which worked with NGN on a noise reduction solution – outside the network's existing supply chain that have offered innovative solutions and more than returned the funds and time it has invested in the EIC. With successes delivered to both SMEs and the networks, highlighted both by the EICs upcoming awards and the number of SMEs exhibiting at this month's Utility Week Live, the industry appears to be doing its job by removing the barri- ers that have previously stifled innovation. However, if the success is to continue, it is criti- cal that parties on both sides continue to contribute. N CASE STUDIES Northern Gas Networks When Northern Gas Networks (NGN) needed to replace gas mains on a busy street in Hull city centre, it had to postpone the work a number of times because of noise. Believing there might be a solution beyond the network's existing supply chain, Richard Hynes-Cooper, head of innovation, submitted a call for innovation through the EIC. The call attracted the attention of the Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre (INVC), which works mainly in demolition. But it saw an opportunity to apply its expertise. INVC worked with NGN to develop an acoustic screen that reduced the noise by 97-99% and enabled the work to be carried out without delay. After that success, the solution has been rolled out across Northern Gas Networks. Explaining the value of the process to the company, Hynes- Cooper, says: "If somebody had come to me saying can you help me fix this problem, I wouldn't have gone to a demolitions compa- ny. It allowed us to come up with a solution that was transferable from one industry to another, which helped us fix a problem." Kelvatek One of the EIC's success stories and a good example of the value SMEs can bring to network operations is Northern Ireland technology firm Kelvatek. It has operated in the sector for 35 years, and works with the EIC and its network partners. Its SAPIENT fault-assistance service and its Weezap and Lynx smart grid applications both won EIC awards in 2015; and the company as a whole has won both "best international trade" and "best high-growth company" accolades in 2016. Its successes have shown that working well with the networks and understand- ing their innovation needs can be transformative for an SME. Having worked on a number of Network Innovation Allowance funded projects, its applications and products are enabling net- works to more closely monitor operations and critically, reduce the risk of outages and disruptions. Nigel Russell, regional manager for UK and Ireland, says: "In our experience, the best innovations come through collaboration and aligning yourself strategically with good partners. The EIC, our DNO partners and our customers have all helped us achieve the growth and success we've experienced to date and we're enormously appreciative of their support." Gnosys Global As a company with specialist expertise in industrial cables, it might be assumed that Gnosys Global would be well placed to be at the beck and call of the networks. However, it wasn't until the networks and the EIC identified the need for new solutions that the potential benefits of its offering were brought to the market. The company's self-repair technology takes the form of an additive that, when added to the fluid inside electricity cables, fills holes and gaps in the cable when exposed to air. It was soon be- ing trialled by Northern Powergrid and UK Power Networks. Jim Cardwell, head of trading and innovation at Northern Powergrid, says: "A cable with self-repairing properties has the potential to transform the way we treat and respond to cable damage." The first phase of testing – funded through the Network In- novation Allowance – has been completed, and further testing is now taking place on operational power networks. Outlining the value of the project to EIC's work, head of in- novation Matthieu Michel says: "This project demonstrates how engaging with SMEs can help the energy networks work smarter to discover solutions to their business challenges. Through open communication and collaboration, the networks can develop innovative projects like this, allowing them to tackle a problem which is faced by DNOs across the UK." SME focuS