Durham Heat Hub Innovation Sprint 21/22nd June

How can we develop solutions to decarbonise heat while ensuring co-benefits for local communities, businesses and entrepreneurs?

Brought to you by Durham Heat Hub. https://durhamheathub.com/ 

Through 2 half day sessions of innovation sprinting and open collaboration, in partnership with Northern Gas Networks, Northern PowerGrid, the Coal Authority, Durham Cathedral and the North East Energy Catalyst, and facilitated by Northumbrian Water, participants will identify, understand and define ideas to contribute to the decarbonisation of heat in the region and beyond.

The 4 broad heat innovation challenges identified are:

• Heat and Place/Community: How can we support those in the rural communities to migrate from oil to lower carbon heating solutions?
• Heat and Heritage: How can we deliver the opportunity of low carbon heating solutions for large old buildings?
• Heat and Water: How can we deliver  co-benefits to communities from mine-water and/or river-water heating solutions?
• Heat and seasonality: How can we alleviate difficulties associated with the seasonality of heat demand?

The challenges and opportunities relating to the decarbonisation of heat involves multiple stakeholders in research organisations, policy environments, industry and local communities, and there is a need for creative solutions that can unite these stakeholders. This event will engage with a range of stakeholders to:

• Foster innovative thinking about Heat Challenges

• Support user-centred heat innovation solutions

• Create networking opportunities and open collaboration around future heat innovation challenges and opportunities.

The two half days allocated are 21st and 22nd June 12.30-5.00. The event will take place online and there will be an open session prior to the Sprint to allow delegates to familiarise themselves with the platform technology.

Please note that your registration does not guarantee attendance. Participants will be asked to communicate their particular heat challenges/interests in advance of the event to ensure that the challenges are well fitted to the interests of those in the room. Participants will be confirmed based on their background and perspective.

Throughout the four sessions, participants will be working through a series of short, interactive, small group exercises which will guide them through the different stages of design thinking and help them develop heat innovation strategies for a given challenge.

Participants will gain

• Knowledge of design sprint tools and processes and how these can be used to develop new heat solutions, prototypes, and research and innovation proposals
• Multi-stakeholder overview of current and future heat challenges and opportunities
• Opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing

We are looking forward to some really clever suggestions, with the aim of adopting those that are viable.

21ST AND 22ND JUNE 12:30-16:00

There will be a final gathering and knowledge sharing event from 16:00-17:00 on the 22ND.