Research and development is becoming even more relevant as the water industry tackles a wider range of issues and challenges than ever before. From digital disruption to understanding the contribution of water to resilient, liveable cities, WSAA's Research Managers' Network works to ensure utilities' research dollars stretch as far as possible.
A robust research and innovation program within a water utility is critical to ensure:
- Reduction of risk and costs to the organisation in response to complex issues.
- The development of new products and techniques to drive efficiency and productivity and increase delivery of customer value.
- An increased knowledge base, both within the utility and more broadly in the water industry and beyond
- A culture of innovative thinking, sharing, exploring and learning within the utility.
R&D is becoming even more relevant as the water industry tackles a wider range of issues and challenges than ever before, such as advanced data analytics and digital disruption, understanding the customer base, management of ageing assets, emerging pathogens and contaminants, climate change and resilience to future risks and understanding the contribution of water to resilient, liveable cities.
The proliferation of new industry challenges comes at a time of contracting research funds, (both within the utility and with the closure of a number of key research organisations), which means that R&D spend is spread thinner than ever, at the time when it is needed most.
What does this mean for the Research Managers' Network? Research dollars need to stretch as far as possible, and to facilitate this, the network focuses on three main areas:
- Collaboration and knowledge sharing: Sharing strategic research priorities, avoiding duplication, understanding common knowledge gaps and how these can be addressed through collaborative research. The cornerstone of this work has been support in the delivery and ongoing implementation of the National Urban Water Research Strategy. The network also supports WSAA’s strategic partnerships with key US research organisations such as Water Research Foundation and Water Environment & Reuse Foundation, as well as our Australian partners such as Water Research Australia.
- R&D governance: Sharing processes and frameworks to help deliver R&D, for example prioritising research, translating research into practical outcomes and understanding the tangible and intangible benefits that research can provide to a water utility.
- Innovation: What does an innovative water utility look like? One key project supported by the Network is ‘Fostering innovation within utilities’, a collaborative project run by the Water Research Foundation and Arcadis US to understand what factors are needed to embed innovation into all aspects of a utility.
How to get involved
The Research Managers’ Network meet twice a year to share, collaborate and network. Much of the value from these meetings comes from informal conversations – these can often spark ideas or collaborative opportunities months or years down the track.
Interested in joining the Research Managers’ Network? It’s easy to join via the member community site, simply click on request to join on the network page.
8 Sep 2016
