Blueprint for Innovation in Property Flood Resilience (PFR): Identifying Gaps and Opportunities in Product Development

This report is part of a research partnership between the University of Hull and Intact Insurance on Property Flood Resilience (PFR). The project supports innovation in PFR through tools that help communities adapt to flood risk. More details about the partnership can be found at: https://www.hull.ac.uk/research/projects/intact-pfr-partnership

This document identifies strategic innovation gaps and proposes actionable solutions to improve the design, usability, and regulation of PFR products. It is intended to guide stakeholders in developing inclusive, multifunctional PFR solutions aligned with certification and insurance frameworks. The analysis considers three primary categories:

1. Product Innovation to identify current underdeveloped technologies and multifunctional design opportunities.
2. Usability and Transferability to explore how PFR products are deployed, adapted, and re-used across property types.
3. Policy and Regulatory Innovation in PFR to examine certification, planning, and financial mechanisms which can influence PFR uptake.

The main conclusions of this report highlight the need for automatic sliding flood doors, interoperability in products that combine flood resilience, fire safety and accessibility, and smart systems that can deploy passively, or via sensors. The report identified regulatory and insurance misalignments that create barriers to innovation and uptake and proposed a phased approach planning framework to develop inclusive, scalable and justified PFR solutions.

These findings are based upon analysis of commercial sites in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire, UK that is site-specific, and an emphasis on a catalogue of modern PFR products. The outcomes align with local planning priorities, including Hull City Council's commitment to longer-term flood resilience.