Building a more resilient future through innovation
JBA Labs makes innovation happen. No matter the scale of the project, it encourages and enables our people to engage in innovation and the results are making an incredible impact. Read on to find out more.
Making a real impact now
At JBA, innovation isn't just a buzzword; it’s part of our culture. From our very start nearly 30 years ago, we have sought out new, better ways to tackle the challenges we face. To bring more value to the work we do for clients and to create a stimulating place to work. Look no further than our values to see how much innovation is a part of our DNA:
Share, Innovate, Be Different.
In 2022, we launched JBA Labs, our innovation accelerator programme. The objective of JBA Labs is simple - to make innovation happen. It’s an enabler. JBA Labs encourages people to engage in innovation, from the newest apprentice to the most seasoned technical specialist.
JBA Labs breaks down the barriers to innovation. It connects people, helping to incubate ideas, and providing resources and specialist support to make innovation fast, light and agile. It nurtures innovation projects to get the most out of them; recognising that the benefits of innovation are wide-ranging. From creating efficiencies to solving the problems our clients face to fostering collaboration. JBA Labs has created an environment where both little wins and bold thinking are encouraged and rewarded.
The introduction of JBA Labs led to a three-fold increase in innovation. We currently have 59 live projects, with our people delivering over 15,000 hours of innovation in 2024. This is something we are incredibly proud of.
JSat
JSat is supporting water companies to monitor potential pollution to drinking water sources and protect water quality in rivers and taps. This technology rapidly detects land surface changes using machine learning-enabled analysis of satellite data. This enables water companies, like Affinity Water, to more proactively identify, monitor and manage the impacts of land-use change and potential pollution events on groundwater quality.
Flood Foresight
Supports vulnerable communities around the world to prepare for and recover from natural disasters. Working with agencies such as African Risk Capacity, The World Bank, Start Network and parametric insurance companies, this advanced flood impact forecasting system predicts the impacts of floods before they happen, allowing for the pre-positioning and fast release of humanitarian relief funds and finance that will support recovery. This enables earlier action, saving lives, reducing the costs of disasters and supporting faster recovery.
Improving climate resilience in the Tidal Thames
Our real-time modellers are using flood forecasting and deep learning techniques to support improved decision-making around barrier closures. This work will help to better protect local communities, while also avoiding unnecessary closures, reducing the impact on cargo distribution and prolonging the lifespan of expensive infrastructure.
Where we're heading
Our commitment to innovation is unwavering, and we are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. At its core, innovation at JBA is all about backing up our central company ambition:
To lead in society’s pursuit for resilience to climate change
In the year ahead, we look forward to our continued investment in The Resilience Studio; an exciting new technology that is supporting the development of intelligent resilience strategies. Strategies that not only reduce risk and make our towns and cities more liveable, but also reflect the importance of social value and ecosystem services alongside traditional cost-benefit measures.
We will also continue to embed Artificial Intelligence across the business, making its use 'business as usual'. Embracing its power to bring more value to our clients, in a way that is safe and ethical, aligns with our values, and is fun.
In the end, innovating isn’t just for innovation’s sake – it’s about using innovation to make a tangible, positive difference in the world. At JBA, that has always been our goal, and it always will be.
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