Spring

Accelerating Water Sector Transformation

Spring Accelerator 3 Applications Now Open

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Welcome to Spring

We’re dedicated to accelerating UK & Ireland water sector transformation through innovation and collaboration.

We connect, integrate and augment existing excellence within and outside the water sector, actively involving other companies and continuously injecting innovation into the industry through learnings and best practices.

Since July 2021, we’ve been working with a wide range of people to ensure Spring meets stakeholders’ needs, starts demystifying the sector and bridges barriers to innovation. It’s important to note that during 2022, we will be in our Minimum Viable Product (MVP), or Beta, phase. It’s essential we hear from you during this time so we can adapt, develop and iterate to ensure we deliver as much value as possible.

Where did the idea for Spring come from?

The idea for Spring came from the water sector’s innovation strategy – Water Innovation 2050.

Download the Water Innovation 2050 Strategy

This outlined where the biggest innovation challenges were across the sector – and found huge gains could be made by approaching these collaboratively. This is where the idea for a centre of excellence first emerged.

Spring is an enabler of this strategy and we’re focussed on addressing the challenges it sets out.

How are Spring and UKWIR working together?

UKWIR was crucial in helping to establish Spring – it helped secure additional funding from its members and offered expertise, support, advice and guidance as we set it up. Spring has been designed to complement UKWIR’s work. UKWIR’s focus is on developing and carrying out a research programme on behalf of its members.

Spring won’t focus on research, but will facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing which brings research to life.

Who will benefit?

Spring will redefine what the UK & Ireland water industry is known for internationally. By bringing stakeholders together from across academia, the supply chain and water companies, we will deliver better outcomes for customers, society and the environment while enabling a more sustainable sector.

  • Customers

    By enabling the sector to better embrace collaboration and incubate innovation, customers will see their water and wastewater services deliver better value for money and the outcomes they expect.

  • Supply Chain

    Suppliers will have a direct route to companies and their challenges, streamlining the process of getting their innovations to market.

  • Water companies

    Water companies get gain a platform to work collaboratively and will have a streamlined route to suppliers.

  • Retailers

    Retailers will be able to feed their challenges into Spring and work alongside utilities and the supply chain to develop solutions.

  • Government and regulators

    Government and regulators will see water companies deliver better value for their customers, achieve improved environmental outcomes and deliver the game-changing innovation needed.

  • Academics

    The Research Community will have opportunities to leverage funding through collaborative projects and meet Research Council ambitions along with having the insight of utility challenges.