A new £40 million partnership between Innovate UK and Ofwat will deliver innovative, cross-sector solutions for the UK’s water sector.

The Water Innovation Cross-Sector Challenge , delivered by Innovate UK and Ofwat, will bring together industries and stakeholders to accelerate sustainable growth and shape a resilient water future.

Designed to identify and fund key challenges, the collaboration will inspire solutions that deliver mutual benefits to the water sector and collaborating industries, such as:

- The adoption of regenerative farming to improve agricultural productivity whilst reducing flooding risk and polluted runoff, improving the availability of water

- Reducing pollutants at point of production to improve water system contamination whilst increasing circularity in industrial processes through more efficient use of materials

- Improving the water efficiency of data centres to decrease the pressure on water supplies and help associated organisations hit environmental goals To enable this collaboration, Innovate UK Business Connect has launched the Cross-Sector Water Innovation Network (CSWIN), acting as a single point of access for innovators, supply chain partners, and end-users from all sectors.

Rob Saunders, Director of Systems Integration Net Zero at Innovate UK , says: “We are excited to work with Ofwat on the Water Innovation Cross Sector Challenge, exploring new ways to deliver water improvements. We want to bring the best research and innovation from across the UK economy, helping other sectors solve the challenges that are affecting the whole water industry.”

Dr Jo Jolly, Director for Environment and Innovation at Ofwat, comments: "Collaboration is vital if we are to find solutions to the challenges we all face and to do so in ways that mean communities and our environment can prosper. “We're thrilled to be partnering with Innovate UK to connect with an extensive range of businesses across England and Wales, investing in the innovations and technologies that will drive a real change in how water is managed across multiple sectors."