We've sat down with Neptune Solutions to hear about how they’re finding the Lab so far.

The Lab is a hive of activity at the moment, as the United Utilities team and our startups gear up for Demo Day. We managed to find a quiet moment to sit down with Nick James from Neptune Solutions to har about how they’re finding the Lab so far. 

Hi Nick, thanks for sitting down with us! Tell us, what does Neptune do?

Neptune is a company that specialises in the control of land and water using new and innovative thinking. We have designed, and are about to launch, our first product which is a steel framed modular barrier system. This system can be used for a number of applications including holding tanks, flood barriers and aqueducts.

What made you want to join the Lab?

We really wanted to develop and test our newly invented system, and run a pilot with a major water company. The United Utilities Innovation Lab seemed like the perfect opportunity to do this, and collaborate with their internal teams, so we decided to apply.

How will Neptune benefit United Utilities’ customers in the North West?

The Neptune system will allow United Utilities to demonstrate their commitment to improvement and innovation by bringing a new, innovatively engineered product to their portfolio. By using our system, United Utilities can expect to see reduced expenditure and optimised budgets, whilst also providing a solution which is responsive, superior and more environmentally friendly than current concrete and steel based methods.

What do you want to achieve over your 10 weeks in the lab?

Our aim for the Lab is to set up a pilot of the Neptune system in order to test it further, and also demonstrate potential benefits for United Utilities and other water companies. We’d also love to become a strategic partner to United Utilities, and provide value engineering solutions.

In three words, what does innovation mean to you?

Creativity, collaboration, progress.

Looking ahead, where do you see Neptune in two years?

In two years time, I want Neptune to be seen as a global leader in flood defence systems, and fluid management retention tanks.