The Energy Innovation Centre (EIC) has announced two new partnerships with water utility companies, Anglian Water and Yorkshire Water.

Announcing the collaboration, the EIC said the new partnerships will accelerate the delivery of innovative projects and provide both companies with unrivalled support in their commitment to creating long-term value for their customers, respective regional economies and the communities they serve.

The EIC’s Operations Director, Matthieu Michel said:

“We are excited to be collaborating with these forward-thinking organisations who are equally committed to creating a sustainable and resilient water system. Our global network of innovators will bring huge value to the operations of both companies with their specialist skills and ability to think outside of the box, and our expert team have already begun work on finding innovative solutions for both Anglian and Yorkshire Water.”

Innovation is recognised as a critical enabler in addressing the challenges faced by the water industry – the collaboration with the EIC will allow for an increased depth and pace of innovation.

Michael Taylor, Innovation Integration Manager at Anglian Water said the collaboration with the EIC complements the firm’s wider innovation strategy, commenting:

“We believe that expanding our network of engaged innovators to include those from the energy sector will bring fresh thinking and new ideas - helping us to address challenges within the water industry.”

Richard Kershaw, Innovation Programme Manager at Yorkshire Water added:

“The Innovation Team at Yorkshire Water are delighted to be working with the EIC to identify and evaluate new innovative opportunities and solutions to operational challenges. Working with the EIC and their global community will help improve the service we deliver to customers, and in doing so, help us to deliver on our 5 Big Goals. Innovation is a top priority for Yorkshire Water and the Innovation investment programme is delivering a wide range of projects which will realise long-term benefits for customers, the environment and the regional economy.”

The EIC has a total of 11 partners with the addition of Anglian Water and Yorkshire Water, consisting of:

• 7 gas and electricity distribution networks
• 2 water companies
• 1 multi-utility company
• The Energy Systems Catapult

The EIC's strong partnerships with gas, electricity and water networks partners offer significant opportunity for cross sector collaboration. 

Ian Cameron, Head of Innovation at UK Power Networks said:

“The EIC’s newest partnerships will not only help us realise the full potential of cross sector collaboration through the sharing of best practice, they will further support the development and commercialisation of technologies that will have applications and benefits across many sectors. We look forward to generating new collaborative approaches and generating shared value as we move closer to a sustainable future.”

The search for innovative solutions has already begun for both Anglian and Yorkshire, and the coming weeks will see the launch of several challenges to the global Innovation community. The first one launched in November is looking for a low-cost sewer monitoring device for small diameter pipes.

Established in 2010, the Energy Innovation Centre is a globally established not-for-profit organisation which works in partnership with gas and electricity distribution networks, water companies and the Energy Systems Catapult.

The collaboration bridges the gap between industry and SME innovators - creating access to difficult to reach areas such as funding, projects, people and ideas.