07Diverse, future-ready people and partnerships
UKWIR will enable research which improves our understanding of how to best develop the culture, skills and partnerships to prepare for future change.
People are at the heart of what we do; without people there would be no innovation or new ideas. Ensuring we have a diverse culture of people involved in decision-making is key to progress and innovation in the water sector. We need to create an inclusive and adaptable sector that attracts the greatest diversity of thinkers and researchers, with collaborations between water companies, regulators and key stakeholders for the greater benefits of all. We will soon face challenges such as an ageing workforce and new technologies, but these also pose opportunities if approached in the right way.
UKWIR plan to support research to increase knowledge and improve practices so that by 2050 the water sector will have:
- A diverse and inclusive culture reflected in the workforce, with innovation at the heart
- An understanding of how to measure and value the delivery of outcomes for customers and the environment
- An understanding of the best way to engage with customers to ensure that they have confidence in their water supplier
- Developed adaptable regulatory frameworks that incentivise innovation and share regulatory risk
- Open data sharing across organisations to maximise transparency and efficiency for all
How UKWIR themes relate to UN Sustainable Development Goals
Examples of our research publications
Enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion in the UK & Irish water industries
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The National Chemical Investigations Programme 2020-2022 Volume 13 - Risk based extension to CIP (Data Mining)
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Assessing the effectiveness of the regulatory framework
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For each of our themes we have developed a mission and aims, which we have aligned to the UKWIR Big Questions and linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to reflect their global applicability.
Helping to address the big questions
BQ9 - How do we ensure that the regulatory framework incentivises efficient delivery of the right outcomes for customers and the environment?