TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS PROCESS INNOVATION

Utilising new and emerging technologies and business processes is critical if we are to effect truly transformative, social, economic and environmental change for the benefit of all.

For example the UK’s ENERGY market and system is changing rapidly due to technology advances which favour more local, decentralised models. In theory this can be of great benefit to ordinary citizens and communities but only if the technology/process changes are harnessed in such a way as to make this possible.

Community Works is working with stakeholders to address these challenges. For example we are:

• Developing an ‘Energy Districts’ approach to accelerate decarbonisation ;  taking an holistic approach to transforming the energy system by harnessing geospatial big data in whole areas
• Developing a Low emissions Vehicles innovation cluster to help accelerate adoption of low emissions vehicles and set up associated infrastructure
• Supporting the development of domestic Demand Side Response and V2G platforms
• Developing new Community Energy business models

As outlined in our HOUSING section, there is an urgent need for transformative change in housing provision, construction supply chain and delivery models.

Community Works is working with many different partners and stakeholders to address these challenges and the innovators who can deliver the solutions for the future. For example:-

• Working with public and private sector investors/developers who are prepared to fund new approaches to delivering affordable, sustainable housing
• Supporting innovators who can deliver low cost, low carbon housing solutions – utilising modular, offsite, fastbuild methods – and integrating new energy and other service technologies
• Utilising local supply chain – local workforce and production facilities ; skilling up local people, and creating local jobs and economic benefit
• Creating a Low Carbon Construction Innovation Cluster to develop and support innovative solutions for low cost, low carbon new housing
• Developing methods of identifying empty homes, retrofitting them to decent, sustainable standards, and bringing them back into habitation
• Creating a Domestic Retrofit Innovation Cluster to develop and support innovative solutions for low cost, low carbon housing retrofit, personal energy management and fuel poverty alleviation
• Facilitating demonstration projects (whole homes and specific technologies) for housing newbuild and retrofit incorporating novel technologies and processes

INNOVATION CLUSTERS

In all the development projects that Community Works is involved with we are making use of INNOVATION CLUSTERS to to focus innovation and business support activity in CIoS on important market challenges.

The innovation clusters will consist of groups or researchers, innovators and businesses and other stakeholders working on solutions to specific regional or national challenges in the energy system/economy.

In particular they will focus on those elements of innovation and action that the UK innovation ecosystem has historically been poor at funding and supporting, such as multi-stakeholder, socio-technical innovation (for example the deployment of a new technology combined with a novel business model in a community setting).