Riding a new wave of innovation

As the summer draws to a close, so too does festival season.

But not necessarily for Northumbrian Water.

When you think about festivals like Glastonbury, Download or Creamfields, the lights go down on the evening of the last act, the guitars stop playing and the wellies are stored away for another year.

However, when the curtain closes on Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival, the excitement only starts to begin.

The Newcastle-based event, which has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings in 2016, sees thousands of global innovators coming together for a week of idea-generation in order to help change the world.

It sounds like a bold statement, but it is true.

Since the first event, more than 300 potential inventions have been created – and are actively revolutionising the utilities sector and beyond.

For example, the National Underground Asset Register, which was founded at the 2017 event, has now been adopted by the Government, is keeping workers safe from fatal utility strikes and is set to lead to £400 million of economic growth per annum.

The 2025 event, held at Newcastle Racecourse in July, saw some incredible ideas emerging – from an artificial intelligence- generated expert in your pocket to a Vinted-style marketplace for buying and selling land.

It is believed the top ten ideas from 2025 could have a potential value of £68 million per year and will contribute to improvements in efficiency, infrastructure and economies – all while helping to protect the local environment.

At its core, the Innovation Festival is a series of problem-solving design sprints where ideas can flow freely and organically, with celebrity guests and fun activities thrown in for good measure.

And the ninth annual Innovation Festival saw 39 countries, 500 organisations and 45 sectors coming together to embrace the most sustainable event yet under the theme of regeneration.

From biodegradable glitter and 3000 reusable coffee cups, to a fully hydrogen-powered event, sustainability was at the core from the inside out.

The top ten ideas from Innovation Festival 2025:

HAPI – Trading biodiversity for a better planet

Imagine a digital marketplace where organisations can buy, sell and suggest land use for environmental benefit.

HAPI (Habitat and Property Investment) is designed to do just that, helping to manage biodiversity better by streamlining investment decisions, cutting red tape and accelerating progress towards a greener future.

Like Vinted – but for the environment!

Build it – Smarter planning for better communities

Local councils and planners often juggle (and struggle using) outdated planning systems.

‘Build it’ is a project to create a one-stop digital platform for planning infrastructure, housing and environmental goals.

This will enable more informed, transparent, quicker and joined up decision-making that truly benefits local communities.

Ingress-Ception – Tackling unwanted flow and flooding

Unwanted water, such as road run-off and groundwater, entering the network is a growing problem.

This handy idea will use a visual data platform to help manage water flow, and will also use a behaviour change method to help communities understand water-related issues.

Total Recall – The artificial intelligence that answers your site questions

Total Recall is like having an expert on hand 24/7.

It is an artificial intelligence chatbot loaded with all the knowledge, history, data and information from a company, helping teams in the field make smart and informed decisions by providing relevant answers and pointing to additional information when needed – all in real-time.

Smart Sewer 2.0 – Reimagining wastewater systems

This project uses a single pane of glass interface, similar to a super-high-tech iPhone screen, to manage sewer systems with high efficiency.

It will allow teams to respond more quickly, use data more effectively and will significantly lower costs – all while reducing risk to the environment.

H2OH – Turning waste into clean energy

H2OH is turning wastewater treatment sites into clean energy hubs by converting waste gases they produce into hydrogen or other green fuels.

Think power from poo but at every site; it helps the environment and reduces the company’s energy use.

Asset Risk Register – Know your infrastructure

This digital register helps engineers and decision-makers see which assets are most at risk, so they know where to focus.

It gives a clearer view of infrastructure health, supporting safer and smarter investments.

ARC (Circular Economy) – Reuse, regenerate, reimagine

Think Facebook marketplace, but instead of old furniture being advertised, ARC is all about giving unused materials, such as pipes, parts and equipment, a new life, boosting circular economy efforts across the water sector.

Storming for Efficiency – Greener stormwater solutions

This project will give a greener upgrade to underground stormwater storage by using big crate tanks that are specially designed to be low-carbon and sustainable.

Spill Intelligence – Smart response to spills

By combining smart sensors with data already gathered in company systems, this project enables a quicker, more targeted response to wastewater spills, helping to protect the region’s rivers and seas.

It builds trust with customers and regulators, while helping shape the future of wastewater.

Angela MacOscar, head of innovation at Northumbrian Water Group, says: “This year’s Innovation Festival generated a lot of valuable ideas, and we are incredibly proud this level of high-quality innovation is happening in the North East.

“A lot of these projects are UK or world firsts, and it just shows that here in the region we’re thinking big, acting boldly and placing regeneration at the heart of everything we do.

“We’re excited to be leading the way when it comes to new ideas and technologies that will help to protect the environment in our region.”

Northumbrian Water Group

For more information about Northumbrian Water Group, the Innovation Festival and the services provided by the organisation, visit www.nwl.co.uk/

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