Innov8rs Programme with ESB: launching the next generation of innovation for a Net Zero Future
On 3rd October 2025, our Managing Consultants Brendan Rowan and Agathe Dizengremel officially kicked off Sprint 1 of the Innov8rs Graduate Innovation Programme with our client ESB.
Co-organised with ESB, we supported an ambitious initiative designed to nurture innovation talent and address real-world challenges aligned with ESB’s Net Zero 2040 strategy.
Over the next nine months, this structured programme will empower eight cross-functional teams of graduates to explore, validate, and develop solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Ireland’s energy future.
During this first session, participants explored ESB’s strategic challenge areas and learned key innovation methodologies such as effectuation and customer development.
The workshop also provided fresh insights into trends and opportunities in the European energy sector, setting the stage for teams to begin defining their Sprint 1 problem statements.
Their goal? To deliver a clear, evidence-based problem statement backed by stakeholder insights, industry context, and market validation. This foundation will set the stage for solution design and testing in future sprints.
To guide their journey, participants were introduced to two core methodologies:
- Effectuation: a mindset focused on starting with what you have: your skills, your network, and your knowledge.
- Customer development: based on the philosophy of “getting outside the building”, this method compels teams to test their assumptions with real stakeholders early and often, helping avoid the common pitfall of building products or services that no one actually needs.
Real context, real challenges
To ensure their work is grounded in reality, teams were given a deep dive into the European and Irish energy landscape.
While this is a graduate programme, the stakes are real. ESB’s investment in Innov8rs reflects a long-term commitment to building internal innovation capabilities and cultivating a pipeline of future leaders who understand both the technical and human dimensions of energy transition.