Reflecting on yesterday’s UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) Annual Conference 2024, delivered in partnership with Spring - an inspiring day focused on The Water Nexus: Connecting Expertise to Inspire Action. We discussed the challenges facing the water sector, celebrated progress, and emphasised the need to embrace nature as a key stakeholder in the future.
Heidi Mottram, CEO of NWG (Northumbrian Water Group), kicked off the day with a compelling talk on the role of research and innovation, followed by Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector at the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), who shared his regulatory insights. Steve Kaye highlighted the importance of collaboration, stressing that building a stronger industry is more important than just stronger companies.
Spring’s Carly Jane Perry and Thomas Walker shared our journey from silos to synergy, with Carly outlining our collaborative innovation strategy, and Thomas discussing the development and impact of the Accelerator 3 Programme, focusing on protecting natural systems.
A highlight of the day was the interactive session lead by Karma Loveday, which sparked collaboration and generated actionable insights. The event wrapped up with a thought-provoking panel on recognising nature as a stakeholder.
A big thank you to UKWIR and Aqua Enviro for organising such a dynamic event, and to Ben Roche and Brandon Mayuga for expertly chairing the conference. It was wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new ones. We’re already looking forward to next year.
You can find the presentations from the day here: https://lnkd.in/eWPZx5Zi
You can also provide feedback on the conference for UKWIR here: https://lnkd.in/e789ypeX
#UKWIRConference24 #TheWaterNexus #InspireAction