Event: Cranfield Water Conference 2025 – IWA Young Water Professionals (YWP) Pitch Session

Date: June 2025

Location: Cranfield University, UK

Role: Host and Facilitator – IWA YWP Pitch Session

Type of CPD: Mentoring / innovation leadership / academic–industry engagement

Duration: Half‑day (pitch session + conference participation + networking)

Summary of the Event

I attended and hosted the IWA Young Water Professionals Pitch Session at the Cranfield Water Conference 2025, a major annual event showcasing cutting‑edge research and innovation across drinking water, wastewater, environmental monitoring and digital optimisation.

The conference brought together researchers, utilities, regulators, technology innovators and environmental specialists. The YWP pitch session provided a platform for early‑career researchers to present high‑impact ideas, emerging technologies and applied research with potential to shape the future of water management.

As host, I facilitated the session, introduced speakers, guided discussions and supported the judging process, helping to create a constructive, inclusive and professionally challenging environment for emerging talent.

My Contribution: Host of the IWA YWP Pitch Session

• Opened and chaired the session, setting expectations and emphasising the importance of communication, innovation and cross‑sector collaboration.
• Introduced each presenter, ensuring smooth transitions and maintaining momentum and engagement throughout the session.
• Provided constructive feedback to participants, focusing on clarity of impact, scalability, innovation pathways and real‑world application.
• Encouraged presenters to articulate the practical relevance of their research to utilities, regulators and the wider sector.
• Supported the judging panel, offering insights on innovation adoption, digital transformation and environmental performance.
• Fostered a positive, supportive environment that empowered early‑career professionals to share their ideas confidently.
• Strengthened links between Cranfield University, IWA YWP networks and industry partners.

Key Themes Covered

Skills and capability development Communication, innovation readiness and early‑career leadership.

Drinking water and wastewater treatment optimisation Biological process stability, emerging contaminants, resilience and energy efficiency.

Digital transformation and real‑time monitoring Data integration, automation, digital twins and predictive analytics.

Environmental performance and river health Pollution reduction, transparency, compliance and ecological outcomes.

Innovation and research translation Pathways from academic research to industry adoption and commercialisation.

Advanced sensing and biological monitoring Microbial activity sensing, high‑resolution data and early‑warning systems.