Innovation unleashed: Reflections on the Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival 2025
Published: 29 July 2025
Earlier in July, we had the privilege of attending the Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival, an unforgettable collision of ideas, energy, and purpose. The atmosphere crackled with curiosity and possibility; engineers, strategists, tech pioneers, environmentalists, creatives and customers, all united by a shared ambition to shape a sustainable future.
We were proud host two critical sprints at the event.
Grey to Green
The Grey to Green sprint started from the context that 90% of the assets the water sector will have in 20 years' time are already built. This means we need to understand how to 'green’ our existing operational and maintenance processes, rather just rely on building new green assets.
Within the Grey to Green sprint, Naresh Patel and Ellie-kay Dawe presented on the outputs of their ongoing nature-based solutions gap analysis project for Northumbrian Water Group to the tent.
Over the course of four days, the sprint went from a starting point of understanding what 'green' and 'greening' mean for Northumbrian Water Group, to the creation of more than 100 ideas distilled down to a cohesive pitch for an asset greening programme, taking ideas from every table and presenting to an expert panel of Living Water Enterprise representatives.
Understanding customer preferences through gamification
We also hosted a strategy-focused sprint, led by Jono Ewens, to explore how digital gaming could uncover long-term customer preferences in a changing world.
The team co-designed game prototypes simulating future challenges, generating insights to inform water and wastewater adaptive pathways for PR29's long-term delivery strategy. When you bring together diverse minds, craft space for experimentation, and channel focus into impact, incredible things happen.
Innovation is a mindset
Both sprints have developed excellent proposals for us to take forward in AMP8.
But here's the real takeaway: innovation isn’t an event, it’s a mindset. To turn the brilliant ideas born here into real, lasting change, we need more than inspiration. We need a culture of curiosity and experimentation, where failure is learning and bold ideas thrive. And we need leadership that backs brave ideas and sees them through, from pilot to transformation.
Let's carry this energy forward into projects, programmes, boardrooms and everyday actions. The challenges we face in our sector are monumental, but with the talent, spirit and spark we witnessed, we're more confident than ever that we're up to the task.
Here's to building a better, more sustainable future, together.
Latest resources
InsightsInnovation unleashed: Reflections on the Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival 2025
NewsAqua Consultants acquire urban drainage modelling consultancy RES Environmental
InsightsRethinking mains renewal for AMP8: A smarter, holistic approach
InsightsGreen Book Review 2025: A changing foundation for investment planning in regulated utilities?
Here to solve your biggest challenges and grow sustainable value
Our expert consultants are available to broaden your thinking, lead transformation, and help you achieve successful outcomes.
Contact our experts