Bridge4Water

Timeframe

April 2026 - December 2026

Financing

Grundfos Foundation

This project is supported by

Purpose

Bridge4Water is an initiative designed to strengthen collaboration in European water research and innovation through Open Innovation in Science (OIS).

The purpose is to create a shared space where universities, companies, and other stakeholders can work together openly to address complex water challenges. By removing traditional barriers such as restricted intellectual property, Bridge4Water enables faster knowledge exchange and more efficient innovation processes.

The initiative responds to a key challenge in the water sector: while water issues are shared across regions and industries, research and innovation efforts are often fragmented. Bridge4Water aims to bridge these gaps and support a more connected and collaborative ecosystem.

Main Activities

Bridge4Water focuses on enabling open, cross-sector collaboration through a range of core activities:

Co-creation of research
Universities and companies collaborate openly to develop new knowledge, solutions, and technologies.
Open sharing of knowledge
Data, methods, and results are made accessible, supporting transparency and accelerating innovation across stakeholders.
Facilitation of partnerships
The platform connects relevant partners quickly, enabling early-stage idea sharing and joint project development.
Addressing complex water challenges
The initiative supports collaborative approaches to challenges that cannot be solved by a single organisation alone.
Pilot programme and project calls
Bridge4Water is launched as a 2026 pilot programme, with upcoming calls for projects focused on:
- Industrial water efficiency and circularity
- Water efficiency and circularity in urban built environments