What happens when water companies stop competing on data

Most organisations focus on breaking down silos within their own business. Melissa Tallack argues the real opportunity lies beyond that. In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham speaks to Melissa Tallack, co-lead of the Stream initiative and former Head of Data and Digital at Anglian Water, about how the water industry is collaborating on open data, sharing best practice and learning from sectors including rail, energy and health. Together they discuss: Why open data creates more value when industries collaborate. How Stream is transforming data sharing across the water sector. Breaking down organisational, industry and cross-sector silos. Why culture matters as much as technology. How citizen science could become one of the UK’s most valuable data sources. Why the best ideas often come from outside your own industry. Whatever industry you work in, this episode offers practical lessons on collaboration, open data and creating lasting public value. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 01:29 – Melissa’s journey into the water industry 03:55 – Three decades of digital transformation in water 05:23 – Why digital transformation is a people challenge 08:00 – What the Stream initiative is trying to achieve 10:27 – Why collaboration beats competition 11:56 – Looking beyond your own industry for ideas 13:20 – Publishing data with purpose 17:32 – Why creating value takes patience 19:06 – The untapped potential of citizen science 21:35 – The future of cross-sector data sharing 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with leading UK technology leaders.