When Billy Hutchings returned from a year abroad in Spain and Kyrgyzstan, he didn’t expect his next adventure to be in the world of energy innovation. A languages student at Durham University, Billy swapped Russian grammar and Spanish tapas for dashboards, data and innovation management - all as part of his summer internship at Energised Futures, Centrica’s new in-house research and innovation incubator.  

But how does someone with no technical background find themselves measuring innovation? And what does that even mean? 

Making Innovation Measurable: A KPIs Approach 

Billy’s journey into innovation management began with a simple question: how do you track progress when your work is about ideas, not just outputs? “Innovation isn’t always tangible,” he reflects. “You can’t always measure it in pounds or patents. But you can track how aligned your work is with your goals, how your team is growing, and how your projects are evolving.” 

Over the summer, Billy helped build and refine a KPI dashboard that does just that. Think of it like a car dashboard, he says: “The fuel gauge is our total grant funding. The speedometer? That’s the number of projects moving toward commercialisation. And the warning light is when we spot direct competitors in the same space.” 

Having understood the importance of innovation management and the power of tracking KPIs, Billy is now all about it. And with that mindset, it’s no surprise Billy has even thought about how to measure his own growth. If he had to design a personal KPI for his internship, he says, “Number of projects completed - hopefully two by the end of my eight weeks! Or maybe number of new acronyms cracked, as a measure of my learnings while navigating the world of energy innovation." 

Global Perspectives on Energy Accessibility 

Billy’s year abroad wasn’t just a cultural exchange, it was a crash course in perspective. Living in Kyrgyzstan, he saw firsthand how sustainability varies across regions. “Recycling wasn’t common there. Single-use plastics were everywhere. It made me realise how far we still have to go globally and how important it is that innovation is inclusive.” 

That realisation didn’t stay in Central Asia, it followed him into his work at Energised Futures. One of the research pillars of Energised Futures that resonated most with Billy was Accessibility. This explores how the energy transition can be made fairer and more inclusive, ensuring that the future of greener energy isn’t reserved for those who can afford it but is accessible to all.  

“Innovation can’t be one-size-fits-all,” he reflects. “What works in the UK might not work in Kyrgyzstan.” His experiences abroad helped him see energy not just as a technical challenge, but as a human one where context, culture, and equity matter just as much as efficiency. 

His time learning the Russian language also played a quiet but powerful role in shaping his approach, teaching him how to sit with uncertainty, how to ask questions, and how to find understanding when you’re not really sure where to start. “You have to be okay with not knowing everything, with making mistakes. That’s how you grow.” Those same skills helped Billy navigate the complexity of energy innovation, where no two projects and no two regions are ever quite the same.  

Energy, the Sector, and the Intern  

Despite the complexity of the sector, Billy leaves his summer internship feeling supercharged. “Some of the most exciting energy solutions haven’t even been invented yet. Being part of a team that’s shaping that future even for a short time has been incredible.” He’s particularly inspired by the way Energised Futures blends technical expertise with creativity. “There’s a real sense of possibility here. People aren’t afraid to try new things, challenge assumptions, and rethink how energy can work for everyone.” 

And if he could leave the sector with one Russian word? “Мыслите масштабно!!” he laughs. “It means, Think Big! It’s a fitting reminder for a sector that thrives on innovation, scale, and bold thinking - especially as we reimagine what a truly sustainable energy future looks like." 

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