What’s next for innovation at NGN?
In collaboration with colleagues, customers and stakeholders, we are developing our innovation strategy as part of our five-year business plan for GD3, with emphasis on how we can continue to decarbonise the sector to achieve net zero and support more customers in vulnerable circumstances.
We are focusing on five core work streams:
- Whole energy systems, looking at how we can support a fair transition to alternative energy supply
- Sustainable communities, which will involve working closely with local communities and local authorities to identify and develop the plans and technologies required to deliver a fair transition
- Customer vulnerability, exploring how we can support our customers with specific needs and how we can use emerging technologies to improve our services to them
- Looking at how we can safely and effectively repurpose our gas network to support the transition to hydrogen
- Embracing advanced technology, leaving behind more traditional methods to achieve better business results and customer benefits (using AI and Machine Learning for example to simplify data collection)
We have an unbeatable track record of taking large-scale innovation projects and products from ideation to completion, transforming how our industry behaves and operates. Many of these projects began with NIA funding, and we are always eager to partner with other businesses and SMEs to create innovative solutions and products that will shape the future of the energy market. Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss an idea.
Each innovation project is inspired by Ofgem’s push for efficiency and the need to provide evidence for better, safer services. We've enhanced our operational capabilities, further integrated innovation into our business, and shifted away from conventional operational efficiency and gas innovation projects. Our focus for this next period is on future-oriented data and digitisation projects, ensuring that all customers, especially those who are vulnerable, are supported as we start to transition to a new energy system.
