News

The strategic partnership between water and waste company Severn Trent and Cranfield University has been named one of the top 100 corporate-academic partnerships in the world by leading international academic journal, Nature.

The relationship is showcased in the ‘Nature Index 2018: Earth and Environmental Sciences’. The recognition reflects the scientific and academic output of the relationship.

Cranfield’s strategic partnership with Severn Trent has been in place for over seven years, and covers multiple areas of Severn Trent’s business - including working together to address the issues of phosphorous removal from wastewater and anaerobic digestion to help reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

The partnership was also recently showcased in the National Centre for Universities and Business ‘State of the Relationship Report 2018’ which assesses the health of partnerships between business, higher education institutions, UK government, and their agencies.

Keiron Maher, Innovation Manager at Severn Trent, said: “We have a number of key challenges – delivering safe drinking water, treating wastewater to excellent environmental standards, and reducing our carbon footprint - which is both more environmentally friendly and economic for our customers. Cranfield’s technical know-how and depth of understanding is impressive. It’s not just about science, however; it’s their translation of science that is so beneficial for us.”

Professor Paul Jeffrey, Director of Water at Cranfield, said: “We are very proud of the work that our academics and research students are doing to support Severn Trent deliver more resilient and sustainable water and wastewater services. The partnership makes use of several of our world-class test facilities and offers genuine opportunities for staff and students to co-produce knowledge with a partner who plays a critical role in protecting a vital natural resource. The success of the partnership evidences the commitment of both parties to the role which science can play in driving innovation.”