How open data is transforming City services Steve Adler, IBM Information Strategist - Closing Keynote (+playlist)

H2.O – Pushing Past the Clichés Towards the Future of Water Innovation

by Janelle Heslop | September 17th 2013

Posted in Cleantech Events, Water

On September 10-11, Cleantech Group hosted its second annual Water Innovation Summit in Berkeley, California. Representatives from VC firms, corporates, startups, municipalities, and more gathered to debate issues ranging from repair drones in water pipes to financing infrastructure in emerging markets. Our strategy for the Summit was simple: define top challenges throughout the ‘water cycle’ and uncover opportunities to accelerate innovation at each step. However, what quickly became evident, as with many water-related conversations, is that the challenges are complex and


Read more:
http://blog.cleantech.com/sector-insights/water/h2-o-pushing-past-the-cliches-towards-the-future-of-water-innovation/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRols6zOZKXonjHpfsX%2F7%2BQoULHr08Yy0EZ5VunJEUWy0IcBS9Q%2FcOedCQkZHblFnV0NS62%2FT7kNo6ELsolutions are interconnected.

Learning from Biology as to how innovation works in the natural word   http://www.infoq.com/presentations/managing-serendipity

Adaptation is useful, however Examptation is often faster to innovate

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IIIE5cExaptations.shtml

Exaptations

An “exaptation” is just one example of a characteristic that evolved, but that isn’t considered an adaptation. Stephen Gould and Elizabeth Vrba¹proposed vocabulary to let biologists talk about features that are and are not adaptations:

• Adaptation—a feature produced by natural selection for its current function (such as echolocation in bats, right).


• Exaptation—a feature that performs a function but that was not produced by natural selection for its current use. Perhaps the feature was produced by natural selection for a function other than the one it currently performs and was then co-opted for its current function. For example, feathers might have originally arisen in the context of selection for insulation, and only later were they co-opted for flight. In this case, the general form of feathers is an adaptation for insulation and an exaptation for flight.

Genius of Biome - new start point = likely innovation

Genius of Biome  Using natures systems to inform human design.

By choosing a new start point the chances of innovation are great.

Game changing Green Infrastructure: recent case studies

  

 http://www.nature.org/about-us/the-case-for-green-infrastructure.pdf

Game changing with multiple benefits

A great visualization of the age of buildings - a vital ingredient to be able to predict the likelyhood of pipe failure:
http://dev.citysdk.waag.org/buildings/#53.2191,6.5789,15

Citizens puting sensors in sewers networks because they care: NYC

http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/high-tech-diy-sensors-could-help-keep-billions-gallons-raw-sewage-out-nyc-harbor.html

SmartBay Ireland: data from large scale environments

Smarter Cities Master Class: Perspectives on Managing the World's Water ...

Summarize what it takes to be sustainable

A useful place to look for sustainability

Innovation is not linear - if it were it would not be innovation

Start with the problem

Plug and play sensors: Final Challenge TAHMO Sensor Design Competition Nairobi 2013

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/innovative-sustainable-business-models

Wanted: truly innovative sustainable business models

Three reasons to focus on your structure, not just your products or processes, from Ryan Whisnant

Smarter Water useful ideas for innovation (playlist)

Ouse Washes Visualisation