Tekiu spent two days at the NEC Birmingham this September at an event which brings together the European Environmental Industry in four shows with four timely themes: Flood Expo, Contamination Expo, Recycling and Waste Management Expo, and the Future Resources Expo.
[Link to previous article here]
On the second day of the Contamination Expo series we began at the Flood Expo. The hall was bursting with new approaches and products that are ushering in more innovative and eco-friendly solutions in the Environmental sector.
We met with the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), who are the leading institute for integrated ocean research and technology development from the coast to the deep ocean. The NOC team were showcasing their ‘Wire Wall’, which collects wave-overtopping data to enable site-specific calibration of EA flood forecasting models, numerical tools used in sea defence design, and public safety tolerances for shoreline managers. Wire Wall is a ground-breaking pilot, which could provide timely evidence-based guidance for both flood defences before they are built or defences that need upgrading. Building or repairing sea defences based on real hyperlocal data renders the infrastructure, and the investment that goes into that infrastructure, truly fit for purpose.
With climate change, a big challenge is to build or repair sea defences based on real hyperlocal data, which will render the infrastructure, and the investment that goes into that infrastructure, truly fit for purpose.
We also spoke to the team at Previsico, a global provider of real-time, street level flood prediction and analytical solutions. A spinout company from Loughborough University, Previsico showcased their solution that provides real-time, street level flood prediction, which heavily relies on data (which is hard to get!). Hydro-Logic Services, a consultancy that collects and provides hydrological data, and What3Words are also champions of data. The latter, which made the BBC News as ‘the app that can save your life’ revolutionises our use of maps. As accurate as GPS coordinates and more specific than postcodes, their system assigns each 3m square in the world a unique 3 word address; such as ‘lofts.path.gloves’ - the Tekiu team’s offices in London. We mainly talked about how it can improve a range of areas from postal services to all things logistics, emergency response to humanitarian efforts. This is really timely with migration crisis looming not only across the English channel but also in other volatile parts of the world. Working with emergency services can potentially save lives.
Smartly storing water in industrial & residential settings and emphasising the wastefulness of using drinking water for flushing toilets, SDS takes action on what London Plan envisions: ‘metering [our] water consumption more effectively’.
Responsible innovation was indeed in our radar at the Flood Expo. We met the representatives of The Forest Group, which provides versatile solutions in safety and drainage products by using recycled plastics. As far as innovation goes, water management companies have got you covered: SDS Water Infrastructure Systems presented their solutions, one of which is built on the London Plan. Smartly storing water in industrial & residential settings and emphasising the wastefulness of using drinking water for flushing toilets, SDS takes action on what London Plan envisions: ‘metering [our] water consumption more effectively’.
