Innovate UK has partnered with water regulator Ofwat to deliver the £40 million Water Innovation Cross-Sector Challenge, part of the broader £400 million Ofwat Innovation Fund. The initiative aims to identify and support innovative solutions that address shared challenges across the water sector and other industries, creating mutual benefits for society, businesses, and the environment. By fostering collaboration among businesses, research communities, and users of water and wastewater systems, the challenge seeks to accelerate sustainable growth and shape a smarter, more resilient water future for England and Wales.
A central element of this initiative is the launch of the Cross-Sector Water Innovation Network (CSWIN), a community platform for innovators, supply chain partners, and end-users from diverse sectors. The network provides a single point of access for collaboration, knowledge sharing, funding opportunities, and support for delivering the Water Innovation Cross-Sector Challenge. CSWIN aims to break down silos between sectors, enabling joint action on pressing water challenges while building lasting relationships across industries.
The UK faces increasing pressure on water resources due to rising demand from emerging sectors such as data centres and hydrogen production, climate change impacts, and growing population needs. Water also intersects with other critical sectors like food, energy, and large-scale industry, making cross-sector collaboration essential. The challenge identifies key areas for innovation, including nature-based solutions for agriculture and water management, pollutant reduction in industrial processes, and improving water-use efficiency through collaboration with the tech sector, water companies, and local authorities.
The programme operates through three main pillars: building relationships and networks across sectors, sharing and adopting innovation to accelerate impact, and funding collaborative projects through targeted investment. By combining expertise from multiple industries, the initiative encourages sustainable practices, business growth, and positive environmental outcomes. CSWIN will further support this goal by sharing innovations, best practices, and success stories, as well as signposting members to relevant funding opportunities, ensuring a collaborative and sustainable approach to addressing water challenges in the UK.
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