Spring
In 2020, all 18 UK water and wastewater companies published the UK 2050 Water Innovation Strategy. This was the first time the sector had outlined its vision for collectively delivering transformative innovation within the water and wastewater industries.
One of the core ideas in the strategy was to create a Centre of Excellence for the UK water sector. This idea became Spring in July 2021.
Spring will help deliver the strategy through its core services, particularly those which are directly linked to making the most opportunities the sector identified.
Since the Water Innovation Strategy was first published in 2020, innovation activity has grown and the landscape has become harder to navigate. There are now more organisations involved, new forms of collaboration, and evolving regulatory and environmental pressures, making it less clear who does what and where to go next.
The Ecosystem Guide provides a shared reference point. It maps how ideas move from research to adoption, and outlines the roles of utilities, regulators, funders and partners at each stage; helping innovators see where to go next, who to engage, and what support is available.