Water Test Network


Project Summary

The Water Test Network (WTN) project will establish a transnational network of testing facilities which can be used by SMEs in North-West Europe (NWE) to test, demonstrate and develop new products for the water sector. In this way, new innovations will be developed and it will accelerate the time to market.


In a competitive global water market, pre-commercial testing is difficult and costly at operational scale and investors are reluctant to invest in unproven technology. This way it can take 15-20 years to bring new technology to the market. To increase market opportunities in this fast growing sector, WTN will help SMEs from across NWE to test their innovative water technologies at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-8. This will be achieved by creating a transnational network of operational scale demonstrator sites in UK, FR, DE, NL and BE, which will offer a range of water types, clean and waste water, in rural and urban settings, for specialist applications such as pharma or agricultural. 
By working closely with SMEs, offering them an integrated package of support and linking them to the best possible site for their needs, validation and commercialisation of near to market water solutions will be accelerated, providing an investor ready pipeline of new products and processes.


The change the project will deliver is to accelerate the time to market, increase the proportion of products reaching the market, and supporting innovative technologies through the complex processes of verification and validation, which create particular pressures in the water sector. At least 120 SMEs will be supported by testing 90 new technologies, of which 30 will be brought to the market by the SMEs. In the long term, the network will remain in place after the project lifetime. A business model will be developed to continue collaboration between partners and provide access to the network of test facilities for SMEs on a paid-for basis after the project.

Project Partners

Lead partner

Organisation Address Email Website
Scottish Water 6 Castle Drive
Dunfermline
KY11 8GG
United Kingdom
watertestnetwork@scottishwater.co.uk www.scottishwater.co.uk
Name Contact Name Email Country
James Hutton Limited Gareth Newman Gareth.Newman@hutton.ac.uk United Kingdom
DVGW Water Technology Center (TZW) Beate Hambsch beate.hambsch@tzw.de Germany
VITO NV Charlotte Boeckaert cb@vlakwa.be Belgium
Centre of Expertise Water Technology Jordi Moreno j.moreno@cew-leeuwarden.nl Netherlands
French Geological Survey Christophe Mouvet c.mouvet@brgm.fr France
Water Board Vallei and Veluwe Edwin de Buijzer EdeBuijzer@vallei-veluwe.nl Netherlands
Enterprise Ireland Liam Curran Liam.Curran@enterprise-ireland.com Ireland
Scottish Enterprise Neil Kitching Neil.Kitching@scotent.co.uk United Kingdom
Water Alliance info@wateralliance.nl

News


Project Extension

Posted on

The Water Test Network has been successful in gaining an extension to the project timeline until 6 December 2022. This one-year extension means that the project will have more time to support SMEs in Europe to bring new innovations to the water sector. Read More

Water Test Network Webinar

Posted on

The Water Test Network team would like to give a huge thank you to everybody who attended our first webinar on May 26 and made it such a great success. We hope you enjoyed hearing from our moderators. If you’ve missed (part of) the event or simply want to view it again, you can download the presentation here or have another look at the recording Read More

Update re. operations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on

We wanted to let you know what the Water Test Network is doing at present in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our number one priority is to keep our colleagues and collaborators safe. While we all accept there is disruption to business as usual, the Water Test Network remains committed to continuing to support companies through these challenging times, wherever possible. Read More

Regulatory Roadmap

Posted on

Active in the water sector and need to know the respected authorities on water regulations, specifications and guidance within North West Europe? Don’t look further. The Water Test Network developed a Regulatory Roadmap with an overview of these authorities to guide SMEs. Read More


Events



Innovation Support Vouchers 

The Water Test Network offers SMEs an integrated package of support in the form of Innovation Support Vouchers. These vouchers will be tailored to the needs of the SMEs and guarantee a certain level of fully-funded support, which could be any of the following  components:

  1. Access to a test facility to allow the SME to test their technology;
  2. Support with validation and verification to assist market entry, where necessary.

Support for an SME can be up to €50,000 (no cash, in-kind services like analytics, testing space and verification), except where a special case is made for high potential. All costs will be de minimis, with appropriate recording.

Through the voucher system the SME will be matched to the most appropriate support / test facility. The voucher will cover the cost of the relevant support, such as the cost incurred by the test facility in hosting the trial. All the SME’s cost, including but not limited to their own staffing, travel, accommodation and logistics, will be met by the SME.

On the test facility page you can find detailed information about the various test facilities accessible within the project.

 

Who can apply?

All small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from North-West Europe can apply. An SME is defined as an organisation with no more as 250 employees and a turnover of at most €50 million.  

In the ‘Innovation Voucher Terms of Reference’ you can read all the information about who is eligible, the application process, the main characteristics of the innovation vouchers and the selection criteria.

 

How to apply?

Applications for the vouchers can be submitted at any point from 11 December 2018 until September 2022.

The application process consists of two stages.  

  1. Applicants should first contact the Innovation Chaser in their region. The Innovation Chaser is the first point of contact and will support the applicant throughout the application process. He/she will assess initial eligibility of the applicant.

  2. If the applicant is eligible for support the Innovation Chaser will then support the applicant through the second stage of the application process. The 'Guidance Notes' below provide the applicant with detailed information about how to fill in the stage 2 application form.

 

Innovation Support Voucher documents:

In the files below you can find all the necessary documents (per stage) for the application process:

Stage 1 documents

 

Stage 2 documents

 

Additional documents:

 

Test facilities

The Water Test Network offers 14 operational scale demonstration sites across North-West Europe with a range of water types and applications. These will be accessible for SMEs located in the North-West Europe region to assist them in developing products to be market-ready and linked to key sector needs. For detailed information about the test facilities’ applications, water types, facilities and equipment, please click or download the facility of your interest below. More information about the test facilities can be found here. 

The project makes a range of water types available for testing. The following water types are available in the Water Test Network. Click on the '+' sign to see what demosite works with this specific type of water. 

All

Next to the above mentioned water types at some testing facilities all water types can be dealt with. These testing facilities are:

James Hutton Limited

Sentec – sensor teste centre

Water Application Center

DVGW Water Technology Center (TZW)

PRIME

Meet the innovation chasers

The innovation chasers are your first point of contact to the Water Test Network project. They can guide and support you in completing the stage 1 and 2 application forms.

 

Please see the countries below for the innovation chaser in your region.

Belgium

VITO

Charlotte Boeckaert   

cb@vlakwa.be

+32 14 33 50 06

France

BRGM

Catherine Berho                                                              

C.Berho@brgm.fr

+33 (0)2 38 64 34 67

 

Germany

DVGW Water Technology Center

Beate Hambsch 

beate.hambsch@tzw.de

+49 7219678220

Ireland

Enterprise Ireland

Liam Curran                         

Liam.curran@enterprise-ireland.com

+35 361777014

+35 3876813794

Scotland

James Hutton Limited

Rodger McGovern            

rodger.mcgovern@huttonltd.com

+44 (0)3449285428

Scotland

Scottish Water

Dr. Kerry Simcock

Kerry.Simcock@scottishwater.co.uk

+44 (0)7824552014

The Netherlands

Centre of Expertise Water Technology

Jordi Moreno              

j.moreno@cew.nl

+31 582100919

+31 657772569

The Netherlands

Regional Water Authority Vallei and Veluwe

Peter-Jan van Oene 

PvanOene@vallei-veluwe.nl

+31 612986083

During the project the Water Test Network project will issue at least 5 different Innovation Challenges. Water sector end users (public utilities, large industries) have the opportunity to submit existing water problems to which a solution is sought from innovative SMEs. The SMEs will be engaged to these challenges in a ‘meet the buyer’ type of exercise.

Innovation Challenge  - Digital solutions for energy efficiency:

For the latest innovation challenge the Water Test Network is looking for SMEs who are developing digital or sensing solutions to monitor and to reduce the energy consumption level of water treatment facilities. Developments should be at least at TRL 4. You will be in a position to showcase and finetune your digital solutions in a real test environment. This can either be a drinking water production centre or a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The innovation must be cost-effective and sustainable. SMEs, preferentially located in the North West European region, can apply by submitting an application form no later than 17 March 2022 at 12 pm.

Innovation Challenge 5: Digital solutions for energy efficiency

 

CLOSED - Innovation Challenge  - Generate value from Brines

For the fourth innovation challenge the WTN is looking for SMEs who are developing technologies to generate value from brines. Focus is on brines from drinking water production, (industrial) wastewater treatment and geothermal sites. Technologies should be at least at TRL 4. You will be in a position to showcase your innovative technology in a real test environment.

Innovation Challenge 4: Generate value from Brines

 

CLOSED - Innovation Challenge - PFAS Removal

For the third innovation challenge of the WTN project we are looking for European SMEs who have or are developing innovative technologies to remove PFAS. Are you this SME and willing to showcase this in a real test environment with the funded support (with a value of up to €50.000) from the project.

Innovation Challenge 3: PFAS Removal

 

CLOSED - Innovation Challenge - Pharmaceutical Removal

Are you an SME who has innovative technologies to detect and/or remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater? And are you willing to demonstrate this in a full scale municipal wastewater treatment plant with the fully funded support (with a value to up to €50.000) of the project?

Innovation Challenge 2: Pharmaceutical Removal

 

CLOSED - Innovation Challenge - Sludge Processing

For the first innovation challenge we are looking for SMEs who can help improve the sludge process. Are you a SME from North West Europe with a innovative technology willing to showcase this in a real test environment, please submit an application no later than 31 May 2019 at 12 pm.

Please click on the link below for more information about the challenge, the offer, conditions and application process.

Innovation Challenge 1: Sludge Processing

 

Other Innovation Challenges

We are still collecting other water related issues for the Innovation Challenges. If you have a water issue which you want to be solved by innovative SMEs, please send an email to watertestnetwork@scottishwater.co.uk

Receive the latest updates about Water Test Network and subscribe to our newsletter here.

 

Download our press releases below: 

December 12, 2018: Water Test Network launches officially

 

Download our newsletter below:

December 15, 2022 Water Test Network Final Update

September 7, 2022 Water Test Network Update IWA Copenhagen, EWTW Leeuwarden

December 20, 2021 Water Test Network News: 2021 recap

September 13, 2021 Water Test Network Pollutec Special

June 11, 2021: Water Test Network Webinar Recording

May 14, 2021: Water Test Network Webinar

March 10, 2021: Water Test Network News

July 7, 2020: Water Test Network News

January 17, 2019: Water Test Network News

May 17, 2019: Updates from the Water Test Network

The Water Test Network developed a Regulatory Roadmap to guide SMEs to the respected authorities on water regulations, specifications and guidance within North West Europe.

 The Roadmap is a tool for SMEs to use as a means of speeding up the process of investigating regulations, specifications and guidance in North West Europe before, during and after entering the Water Test Network process, or in standalone projects. For SMEs, the Roadmap can create talking points, help the direction of a project and alleviate concerns when attempting to launch a new product.

 When the Roadmap is opened, it is designed to run in a flow structure, only showing the information dependant on your selection. By selecting the small tab displaying a number, the Roadmap will expand, showing options to select the next part of the process. Continue to do this until you have the option to select an organisation. By selecting the organisations tab, the organisations website will open, giving you the option to search the site for the organisation’s regulations, specifications and guidance.

Find the roadmap here

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