For Utilities, it’s as easy as ABC – AI, Biodiversity & Customer Experience
Ed Evans, Business Engagement Manager at 3ADAPT, sums up his time at the UK’s premier utilities conference.
Last week, I travelled to the NEC in Birmingham for Utility Week Live, Europe’s only pan-utility exhibition, bringing together industry experts to discuss pressing issues facing the utilities industries and to share innovations.
The programme for the conference this year highlighted the key challenges facing the utility industry;
Customer & Culture: focusing on initiatives to support and engage with customers through tariff management, improvements to service and reducing household consumption to aid sustainability.
The Workforce: how can companies incentivize and drive efficiencies within their workforces to gear them up for the ambitious delivery projects required to meet regulatory targets
Nature Based Solutions and Sustainable Design; incorporating nature based solutions and biodiversity opportunities into design at an earlier stage and considering the long term savings associated with such solutions
Asset Management; how assets can be better designed to incorporate sustainability, reduce impacts and operate better for longer.
The energy this year was unmistakable. A genuine desire to collaborate, adapt and improve was everywhere, fuelled by the dual pressures of climate resilience and customer expectation.
If there was a takeaway, it’s this: to meet the future, the utilities industry must focus on three things — its ABC:
A: Artificial Intelligence
Used responsibly, AI can empower staff, enhance design and operations, and improve customer experience. But it must augment, not replace, the human touch — especially in a sector built on public trust.
B: Biodiversity and Natural Capital
With nature-based solutions increasingly delivering cost-effective outcomes for flood risk, carbon and community benefit, there’s a shift in mindset: from ‘green extras’ to critical infrastructure assets.
““Nature based solutions need to stop being considered innovations and need to be considered business as usual” ”
C: Customer
Utilities, especially in water, still face public scepticism. But the way forward is through honest engagement, social value delivery, and making customers feel part of the journey — not just bill payers.
One highlight? Real innovation in… how to attract delegates to your stand. The espresso bar tactic worked, but credit goes to the stand with a magician — who somehow knew we’d all choose the seven of clubs. I’m still baffled.
Despite some strong showcases, the conference revealed ongoing blockers: policy inertia, resource constraints, and siloed thinking. Collaboration is the word on everyone’s lips — but putting that into practice across sectors and systems is still the real challenge.
At 3ADAPT, we believe that tackling these shared challenges requires more than ideas — it needs tools.
That’s why we developed LANDARNA — our digital platform designed to embed nature-based thinking, data-driven planning and stakeholder engagement into infrastructure and land use projects. Whether you’re navigating regulatory demands, seeking better biodiversity outcomes, or trying to engage communities meaningfully, LANDARNA helps connect the dots.
The future of utilities depends on how well we embrace complexity — and turn it into opportunity. If that resonates, we’d love to show you how LANDARNA can help.
About the Author
Edward is Business Engagement Manager at 3ADAPT, where he leads work to connect new clients and industries with LANDARNA, helping shape sustainable land strategies. A Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Manager, he brings expertise in land management, environmental assessment, and stakeholder engagement. Before joining 3ADAPT, Edward managed land and property for a water company, focusing on biodiversity, social value, and commercial potential. He’s a keen collaborator, runner, and outdoors enthusiast, with a background in geology and a passion for thoughtful land use.
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