Why we’re signing a strategic agreement with Cardiff University

Cardiff University is the largest university in Wales, and that with whom we do more research and other work than any other.

The agreement establishes a cooperative framework between Cardiff University and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water which builds on the many years of partnership working we have already had. Specifically it will:

• Facilitate through a non-exclusive agreement and a framework to support the development of opportunities for both parties.
• Align with Cardiff University’s Way Forward 2018-23 strategy and its Research and Innovation sub-strategy goals
• Align with Welsh Water 2050 Vision and associated Innovation Strategy
• Seek to shape high quality and relevant long-term science and research

The central guiding principle of the Strategic Partnership is to establish a structure within which Welsh Water and Cardiff University can better mobilise their combined resources to deliver mutual value.

This agreement builds on a host of other work we do with universities, with UKWIR, our research body, and in the leading of the setting up of Spring Innovation Ltd, the new innovation centre of excellence for the water sector in the UK.

The university currently works with us advising us on environmental, research and data science matters amongst others. We also work together on the sampling and analysis of our sewage to understand better the risks from Covid to communities – data which is instrumental in providing the health authorities here in Wales with a heads up on what’s going on with the disease.

We jointly sponsor a range of UKRI research proposals which are both relevant to our own research needs as set out in our Innovation strategy, and to the direction the university are taking on driving the frontiers of science. We have and continue to also support a number of PhDs, research fellowships, interns, and support the School of Biosciences amongst others. So much to build on.

The framework will raise the profile of this work in both organisations, and also ensure that we as a company are fully plugged into all relevant UKRI bids for both the University and Great Western Alliance or GW4 of Cardiff, Bristol, Bath and Exeter universities, hopefully further leveraging this funding with our own for the benefit of our customers.

We are all very much looking forward to building on the success we have both had to date, and driving more and higher impact research with the university so as to help us move to a more sustainable future.