Advancing industrial resiliency and sustainability, together.

Water + Energy Forward is a consortium of 50+ organizations addressing the water-energy-waste nexus at small and medium-sized manufacturers and wastewater utilities in Wisconsin and beyond. 

 

We warmly welcome you to our in-process website and invite you to read more below or click here for answers to frequently asked questions. Stay tuned for our full engine site!

Who We Are

We are universities, nonprofits, manufacturers and wastewater utilities collaborating on economically feasible solutions to water and energy challenges. Together, we are working to:

  • Advance use-inspired research and development of technology that addresses pressing problems;
  • Promote workforce development that reaches a broad and inclusive audience; and
  • Develop innovative financing models that make it possible for small and medium-sized manufacturers and wastewater utilities to adopt new technology.

We envision a future where our manufacturing and utility sectors pioneer cutting-edge, scalable solutions in water and energy efficiency, enhancing resilience to climate change impacts and promoting sustainable growth across the globe.

Water + Energy Forward was initiated by The Water Council, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Milwaukee.

A pressing national challenge

Small and medium-sized enterprises form the backbone of our nation’s economy and supply chain. But they are being squeezed by increasing customer demands and regulatory pressure related to climate change. They lack the appropriate technologies, processes, talent and financial resources necessary to reduce their carbon footprint and enhance water stewardship.

Drawing on our region’s leading water and energy technology sectors, research universities and manufacturing workforce, the Water + Energy Forward Engine will develop critical water, energy and waste technology solutions tailored for small and medium-sized manufacturers and utilities. We will also develop the talent and financing necessary for companies to use the technologies, completing the cycle from research and development to commercial adoption.

Lead partners

Click here to learn about the individuals leading our engine.

Why Wisconsin?

The share of Wisconsin’s workforce dedicated to manufacturing is the highest in the United States. Wisconsin manufacturers generate 20% of state GDP, and the state’s wastewater utilities are essential to their operational continuity.

Wisconsin is home to nearly 9,000 manufacturers, and many of them are small or medium-sized enterprises. Compared to large and mega-sized firms, they face greater hurdles in accessing and implementing technology that addresses societal, regional and industry-specific challenges. The same is true for smaller utilities.

Helping address that challenge are Wisconsin’s 240 water technology companies and over 700 energy technology and controls companies, many of whom have headquarters and research operations here.

W + E Forward geographic focus area

What is an innovation engine?

Water + Energy Forward is a proud aspiring innovation engine through the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program.

Innovation Engines exist to advance critical technologies, address national and societal challenges, foster partnership, promote and stimulate economic growth and job creation, and spur regional innovation and talent.

In 2023, the NSF awarded an inaugural NSF Engines Development Award to The Water Council and its partners, which commenced work to build the collaborative effort that has become Water + Energy Forward. Read more about the NSF grant and anticipated milestones to come.

NSF Development Grant

In May 2023, the U.S. National Science Foundation awarded an NSF Engines Development Award to The Water Council to begin work on what has become Water + Energy Forward. Read the news release we issued at the time, which covers the nature of the award and the work we set out to do over its two-year period. The award’s official title is “Advancing Water & Energy Technologies for the Manufacturing & Utilities Sectors (WI, IL), Award No. 2304153.”

Later in 2023, Insight on Business magazine featured this news—and the work it has made possible—in a story titled “Engine of innovation: New-look NSF program bolsters Wisconsin as a hub for water and energy.”

In August 2024, we submitted what the NSF terms a “pre-proposal”—highlighting in detail the next steps we propose in fulfilling the vision we established in the first two years under the original Development Award. Our hope is to be selected for a larger grant from the NSF that will, together with funds raised from other sources, support Water + Energy Forward’s work over the next decade.

Laying the Foundation

We determined Water + Energy Forward, based in Wisconsin, will address water, energy, and waste technology innovation with a particular focus on helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reduce water and energy material risks and convert waste to value.

Upon receiving an NSF Engines Development Award in 2023, The Water Council and its partners started laying a foundation for collaboration across industry, utilities, universities, nonprofits and more. Through focus groups held around the region, we zeroed in on small and medium manufacturers and utilities and identified three primary sectors as our initial focus areas:

  • Food and beverage manufacturing
  • Pulp and paper manufacturing
  • Wastewater utilities

All three are water-intensive and offer meaningful opportunities for positive change at the water-energy-waste nexus. The NSF award requires prominent focus on what it terms “use-inspired research & development,” which is the first of our three main tracks.

Track 1: Use-Inspired R&D
Use-inspired research aims to develop solutions for real problems in society – in this case, reducing water and energy risks and finding better uses for waste in manufacturing and utilities. Collaboration among academics, researchers, industry and end users is key.

Track 2: Inclusive Workforce
This track emphasizes the opportunity—and importance—of ensuring the benefits of this economic engine support a vibrant and inclusive workforce. We need a skilled workforce to help grow Wisconsin’s water and energy technology sector, and we want to make sure all populations feel the engine’s benefits.

Track 3: Innovative Financing
Even when the technology does exist to help SMEs become more sustainable, the businesses can’t afford it. Our Engine is exploring nontraditional ways to help finance the transition to resilient, climate-friendly manufacturing, including green banking and carbon credits.

Water + Energy Forward in the News

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    Stacy Vogel Davis

    Communications Director
    1.414.988.8754

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