About us
DIWA FORMS, FACILITATES, and FOSTERS a new generation of the water sector. We enable the transition towards digital representations of real-world water systems (Digital Twins), reproducing hydrological storages, states, fluxes, and processes, as well as ecosystem responses. These capabilities provide new opportunities for improved scenario analysis, planning and governance.
A leading innovation ecosystem
DIWA Flagship is a leading water research cluster and innovation ecosystem that generates high-impact research, supports policy and management, and drives innovation for the digital transformation of the water sector.
Building an ecosystem for digital innovations
DIWA Flagship innovation ecosystem gathers together research partners, public stakeholders, and business actors to advance digitalization in the water sector.
DIWA is committed to establish a robust value chain within the Finnish water know-how, creating a unique ecosystem for development of smart, justified, intelligent and sustainable water solutions.
DIWA Research
Hydrosphere processes
Understanding processes and changes within the hydrosphere across space and time.
New observational systems
New observation networks and platforms for monitoring natural and built environments.
Integrated analysis and modelling
Hydrological and water resources simulations and impact assessments through advanced analysis tools and models.
Digital services, platforms, and business applications
Digital solutions for sharing and exploring data and co-creating services.
Transformative water management
New avenues to improve water management and to create business innovations through digital solutions.
DIWA Flagship is structured around five interdisciplinary research themes.
Theme 1: Hydrosphere processes
Theme 1 is re-evaluating past, present, and future hydrosphere processes and launching targeted development of new observational systems, especially in DIWA Supersites, as well as modelling and analysis platforms.
Theme 1 interlinks all hydrosphere processes through adaptation of conceptual approaches, such as “Source-to-Sea” and “critical zone” concepts to northern conditions.
Theme 2: New observational systems
Digitalization in connection with hydrosphere processes is advanced through the development of new systems for automated data collection with various mobile and stationary platforms in fluvial, subsurface, coastal, and maritime environments, including pristine, rural, and urban environments.
Theme 2 defines the overall system architecture and interface definitions for the new observational systems and allows the development of novel sensor systems for digital twin data gathering.
Theme 3: Integrated analysis and modelling
Theme 3 builds on both established and most promising new tools and models for the analysis and simulation of hydrosphere processes and the operation of water resources systems.
These models range in complexity from data-driven AI approaches to physics-based simulations, and they will integrate with the DIWA data infrastructure and virtual research platform for efficient model execution, multi-systems analysis, and distribution of results according to the digital twin concept.
Theme 4: Digital services, platforms, and business applications
We establish forward-looking digital solutions for different water-related services, research and private-sector innovation and public-sector uptake.
The services will be linked to knowledge needs by stakeholders and connecting data and models and operational water management platforms using scalable Digital Twins.
Theme 4 explores synergies with HYDRO-RI-Platform, AquaInfra, JERICO, and Geoportti-RI among other projects and research infrastructure.
Theme 5: Transformative water management
We consider new water management and governance practices that leverage research insights to promote sustainability transformation with the help of DIWA’s digital solutions. Our work focuses on improving the quality and efficiency of planning, including participatory and catchment-based approaches, from local to global levels. We also consider the role of digitalization in sustainability and the practical, multidisciplinary understanding of water-related digital twins.
Theme 5 works with all other Research Themes to ensure DIWA’s impact beyond academia. The impact work focuses on two interlinked aspects: business innovations and activities, and societal impact related particularly to public sector and civil society actions on water.
Discover DIWA’s latest research, publications and other outputs advancing the digital transformation of the water sector