At Cognizant, we believe that technology can play a crucial role in creating brighter futures – especially in times of financial hardship. This is why we were delighted to sponsor the Northumbrian Innovation Festival this summer; addressing real-world challenges and creating solutions to help households save money.
Each year, Northumbrian Water brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to find innovative solutions for challenges being faced in the water industry and beyond – providing a unique platform for collective brainstorming and problem-solving. Having been a trusted partner to Northumbrian Water and the Innovation Festival for several years, 2023 was a year to step up our partnership and showcase the ability of technology for good.
Our participation in the Festival was marked by a focused "Sprint" session, specifically aimed at finding ways to help households save money. Sprints are intense workshops designed to rapidly develop and validate solutions to pressing problems. In this case, the challenge was significant: how can technology help households to save money? We brought industry experts from local communities, Cognizant and Northumbrian Water, harnessing our collective expertise to tackle this issue.
The Sprint was a microcosm of innovation, with participants channelling their collective energy, creativity and technical skills to address a problem with tangible, real-world consequences. The ability to translate this into several proof-of-concepts which are now in development for real-world application, marked a success for the Festival. Northumbrian Water is working closely with Cognizant and the regulator to launch the outcomes of these initiatives as they hold immense potential to address financial concerns and enhance the overall experiences of water customers.
In a world grappling with the challenges of a cost of living crisis, the importance of using technology for good cannot be overstated. People across the globe are struggling with rising expenses and many are forced to make difficult choices. At Cognizant, we endeavour to lead by example in using our technological capabilities to address real-world problems, and our knowledge and resources to drive positive change for society.
We are proud of our team and all the companies and individuals who came together to support the Northumbrian Innovation Festival. This was a fantastic example of ecosystems coming together and playing their part in a world struggling with the cost of living crisis.
To find out more, watch the video below or contact sathishkumar.manickam@cognizant.com
