Severn Trent goes global on innovation

Severn Trent is seeking to create a global network of innovators to tackle some of its biggest challenges including carbon emissions and leakage “to improve the service it offers to customers”.

The company is looking for new ideas and solutions from around the world, by setting up a web of technology scouts, starting in Northern Europe.

The first scouts have been established in Nordic countries. As part of a three-month exploration, the scouts will use their local knowledge and contacts to scan the market for potential game-changing technologies, before reporting back to Severn Trent.

Head of asset intelligence and innovation at Severn Trent, Richard Walwyn, said the company had plans to expand the innovation network into Southern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, North America, South America and Southeast Asia later in the year.