ISG insight: Innovation
Innovation: Embedding new thinking across the business
Innovation is essential if SSEN is to meet the challenges and opportunities of ED3. But for the Independent Stakeholder Group (ISG), the key question was never whether innovation was happening - it was whether innovation was truly embedded across the business.
When we raised our innovation challenge, our concern was that innovation risked being seen as a standalone activity, sitting within a dedicated team or strategy rather than influencing decision-making throughout the organisation. We wanted to understand whether there was a genuine culture of innovation across the business, with colleagues at all levels empowered to identify better ways of doing things. Ultimately, we were keen to see innovation reflected throughout the business plan, rather than contained within a separate innovation strategy.
Since then, SSEN has responded positively to the challenge. The business held a dedicated deep-dive session on innovation with the ISG, giving us the opportunity to ask detailed questions and better understand its approach. Since those discussions, we have seen innovation featured across a wide range of business areas, including load-related investment, environmental initiatives and the Distribution System Operation (DSO). This has increased our confidence that innovation is more cross-cutting than we initially thought.
The next step is ensuring this is communicated clearly to other stakeholders. If innovation is genuinely embedded throughout the business, it should be evident in how the ED3 business plan is presented and explained.
Looking ahead, good innovation in ED3 means creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to identify and implement better ways of working, regardless of where they sit in the organisation. Innovation should not operate in a silo; it should be a thread running through every aspect of the business.
Externally, success will mean continuing to look beyond traditional approaches. That includes building new partnerships, working across sectors, engaging with people who bring different perspectives, and being prepared to take informed risks. By combining strong internal engagement with open collaboration and fresh thinking from outside the business, SSEN can ensure innovation plays a central role in delivering the network of the future.
Tamar Bourne