FUTUREWATER BV

Their core work

FutureWater is a Dutch water consultancy specializing in hydrological modeling, flood risk assessment, and climate adaptation strategies. Based in Wageningen — the Netherlands' leading hub for environmental research — they provide technical expertise in predicting and managing water-related extremes, from river flooding to inundation risk. Their work bridges climate science and practical risk management, helping projects translate hydrological data into actionable strategies for flood defense and water resource planning.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2015-2016) centered on broad climate change impact assessment and adaptation strategy development, as seen in IMPREX. By the later period (2018+), their focus sharpened toward operational flood risk analysis — specific hazards, flood defense failures, inundation modeling, and data assimilation techniques (SYSTEM-RISK, TWIGA). This shift suggests a move from strategic climate outlook work toward more applied, data-driven flood prediction and response tools.

FutureWater is moving from broad climate impact assessment toward applied, data-intensive flood prediction and water information services, including work in African contexts through TWIGA.

How they like to work

FutureWater predominantly contributes as a third-party expert rather than leading or formally partnering in consortia — two of their three projects are in a third-party role. Despite this lightweight involvement model, they have connected with 55 unique partners across 15 countries, suggesting they are a trusted specialist brought in for specific technical contributions. This makes them a low-risk, high-expertise addition to consortia needing water modeling capabilities without heavy administrative burden.

Despite their small size and limited direct project participation, FutureWater has built a remarkably broad network of 55 partners across 15 countries — largely through large RIA consortia focused on climate and water research across Europe and Africa.

What sets them apart

FutureWater combines the agility of a small consultancy with deep specialization in hydrological risk modeling — a niche where few SMEs operate at the European project level. Their Wageningen base places them at the heart of the Netherlands' water and environmental science ecosystem, giving them access to world-class research networks. For consortium builders, they offer focused water expertise without the overhead of a large research institute.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SYSTEM-RISK
  Their only direct participant role, focused on large-scale systems approach to flood risk — their core competency and the project where they received all their H2020 funding.
• TWIGA
  Extends their water expertise to African contexts, transforming weather and water data into information services for sustainable growth — showing geographic ambition beyond Europe.