The first step in our collaboration was optimising the innovation process through co-creation. We simplified and improved the innovation funnels and flows, and visualised it in order to make the process transparent and understandable to everyone in the organisation.

To embody this new approach, we introduced a system of innovation waves. Every six months, a new strategic topic is launched, accompanied by various underlying strategic challenges that need urgent solving. These are spread in the organisation across multiple internal channels. This allows Aquafin's employees to actively participate by submitting their ideas to address specific challenges.

Kicking off with the strategic topic "The construction site of the future," we launched different innovation challenges to spark creative thinking and encourage broad participation right from the first wave.

The next pivotal step was developing a robust training program, designed to empower Aquafin's workforce with the skills to innovate and communicate their ideas effectively. This multi-faceted program kicked off with a pilot training session for a select group, laying the groundwork for what was to come.

Following the success of the pilot, the program expanded to offer full training sessions, welcoming new participants and enriching the pool of innovators within the company. A key component of this educational journey was a specialised course on "Learning to Pitch", aimed at equipping employees with the art of presenting their ideas compellingly.

The culmination of this training was a pitch event, an open platform where anyone from Aquafin could step forward to pitch their idea. This event not only showcased the wealth of creativity within the organisation but also reinforced the supportive, innovation-friendly environment that Aquafin strives to cultivate.

Participants of the pitch event whose ideas got selected for an exploration or validation trajectory, received extensive training and coaching on how to further develop their idea. To tackle the challenge of applying training knowledge, we rolled out a user-friendly digital playbook for practical implementation.

To ignite interest and participation, the campaign leveraged Yambla, a platform for idea submission and collaboration. The goal was to attract employees to share their innovative ideas by making the process as inviting and accessible as possible.

A key moment in this campaign was a video message from Aquafin's CEO, officially announcing the Impact Makers brand. This move not only underscored the leadership's commitment to innovation but also served to inspire and motivate employees to become active participants in Aquafin's culture of continuous improvement and creativity.

Aquafin is already gearing up for the next phase in its innovation evolution:

• On-demand workshops: tailored support for anyone needing extra help to bring their ideas to life.
• Future focus: we're diving into solutions for complex issues, from integrated construction site coordination to implementing mobile charging at construction sites.
• Community growth & coaching: further strengthening our innovation community with targeted coaching sessions.
• Impact Day: an upcoming flagship event celebrating innovation across Aquafin.

These steps underscore our commitment to making innovation a continuous, inclusive, and impactful journey.