It's not a water shortage - it's a lack of smart water management

In the latest report from the strategic innovation program BioInnovation, titled “Agenda for Sustainable Water Supply”and developed by RISE, it’s clear: the industry faces both significant challenges and great opportunities when it comes to water use.

One of the greatest challenges is managing contaminants in process water – chemicals, heavy metals, and microorganisms require smart technological solutions to be effectively treated. At the same time, access to clean water is becoming increasingly uncertain in certain regions, which raises the demand for recycling and resource efficiency.

But there are also great opportunities. Through new technologies, companies can treat and reuse water, yielding both economic and environmental benefits.

Companies are asking for specific, actionable knowledge, such as:

• How can we recycle more water?
• How can we reduce our energy consumption?
• How can we meet upcoming regulatory requirements in a cost-effective way?

This is where we at RISE see our role. We aim to address the clear needs highlighted in the report – and take them further. Through Unity4Water, funded by the strategic innovation program PiiA, we are already collaborating with multiple partners to develop digital solutions that enable real-time monitoring and optimization of water recycling. It’s not just about reducing waste but actively creating new resources from what was previously seen as waste. Residual flows from process water can become sources of valuable materials like phosphorus and other substances, while water flows are circulated and reused. This is a concrete path toward a more circular and resource-efficient industry – where every drop and every by-product counts.

This isn’t a vision of the future – it’s something we’re already doing. With the help of digitalization, we can create smart systems that benefit both the economy and the environment. But technology is only half the solution. To achieve real change, we need cross-industry collaboration and a shared commitment to address the challenges we face.

BioInnovation’s report is a clear reminder that the time to act is now. As a host and participant in strategic programs such as PiiA, ReSource, Water Wise Societies, LIGHTer, and Net Zero Industry, RISE works to bring researchers, companies, and other stakeholders together to find common solutions. Our strength lies in the breadth of our network and our ability to connect challenges with the right expertise. Unity4Water is part of that whole – a concrete initiative to meet the industry's and society's needs for sustainable water management.

What gives us hope is that many of the solutions already exist – but they need further development, adaptation, and large-scale implementation. This is where our applied research at RISE comes in. We work to test, optimize, and scale up existing technologies to ensure they perform in real industrial environments and meet the specific needs of different stakeholders. Through innovation, collaboration, and determination, we can turn challenges into opportunities and create a future where water not only suffices but is used in smart and sustainable ways. Because the future begins with water.

Michael Popoff, PhD
Senior Researcher, Unity4Water, RISE

Read the BioInnovations report 
Read more about RISE's work on water projects:
PiiA | Unity4Water | Water Wise Societies | Swedish Water Innovation Centre