<\/p>\n
Our work will involve joined up thinking, project co-design across sectors and stakeholders, better education, and the development of new technologies and services.<\/p>\n
\n
\nProfessor Joseph Holden, joint Director of water@leeds
\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cEcosystems have been under increasing stress due to the overuse and mismanagement of natural resources. We want to develop an integrated approach to better protect those resources and provide resilience to \u2018shocks\u2019 while allowing a flourishing economy and underpinning societal wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur work will involve joined up thinking, project co-design across sectors and stakeholders, better education, and the development of new technologies and services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Tillotson added: \u201cWe will be the central UK partner as well as being the host of the UK and Ireland\u2019s Co-location Centre. It is such a great opportunity for us to work with other universities and businesses across Europe to ensure water resources are sustainable in the long term.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope companies will come here to work with us and graduates in this field will stay here in the region if there is a strong water sector being developed. It should provide a great boost to the regional economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"water@leeds](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/800x400-0-0-1-80-Pond_sampling_800_x_400.jpg\"\/)
\nwater@leeds researchers survey peatland ponds in Scotland to understand carbon and water processes.
<\/p>\n
There are already nine Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) funded by the European Institute of Technology covering areas including climate change (EIT Climate) and digitalisation (EIT Digital).<\/p>\n
EIT Water launches this month and will be fully operational by the start of 2027. The partnership is expected to become financially sustainable over time by leveraging close cooperation between education, research and business.<\/p>\n
Dr Susannah Hopson, Research Development Manager at the University of Leeds, who supported the bid development, explained that EIT Water will have three objectives over the coming years:\u00a0
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Support entrepreneurial education and water management courses from apprenticeships to PhDs.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Create and accelerate start-ups and boost private investment.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Support innovation-driven research.<\/p>\n
The other hubs for EIT Water, known as Co-location Centres, will be at Berlin in Germany, Antwerp in Belgium, Vienna in Austria, Sibenik in Croatia, Malaga in Spain and Varna in Bulgaria with overall co-ordination from Aarhus in Denmark.<\/p>\n
Further information<\/p>\n
To find out more about the winning EIT Water bid, watch this video<\/a>.<\/p>\n