Dragan Savic is Professor in Hydroinformatics at the University of Exeter and CEO of KWR Water

Water engineering expert launches new £10 million European water systems project

A University of Exeter academic is set to receive a share of £10 million pounds of funding for a six-year European research project, looking at designing the next generation of intelligent urban drinking water systems.

Professor Dragan Savic, a Professor in Hydroinformatics at the University of Exeter and CEO of KWR Water, has been awarded the grant by the European Research Council (ERC) to fund four leading scientists across the continent to reliably secure the drinking water supply in cities despite rising water demand.

The researchers are developing new technological methods for this purpose.

Professor Savic said: “I’m very excited about the Water Futures Grant. This collaborative project allows me to contribute to research that has a far greater impact than a single-disciplinary study.

“Given the importance of drinking water to people in both developed and developing countries, our interdisciplinary team of researchers will focus on the next generation of smart water infrastructure.”

The research, entitled: "Smart Water Futures: Designing the Next Generation of Urban Drinking Water Systems”, is part of the ERC Synergy Grant, awarded to a group of two to four excellent young researchers or established active researchers with outstanding scientific achievements.

The other three researchers working with Professor Savic are: Barbara Hammer, Professor of Informatics at Universität Bielefeld; Phoebe Koundouri, Professor of Economics at Athens University of Economics and Business - Research Center; and Marios Polycarpou, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cyprus University.

The project will start mid-2021 and run for six years.

Date: 5 November 2020