Data-driven flood defence
Due to increased extreme weather, rising sea levels, and climate change, the UK is increasingly at risk of flooding. Recent reports from the Environment Agency estimate that 1 in 4 UK properties could be at risk of flooding by 2050.
As demand for sustainable and resilient solutions was growing, Andel Ltd identified the need to develop data-led methodologies to drive innovation in its Flood Defence division. For Andel, the flood defence sector was an expansion from its background in leak detection and pollution prevention.
Andel’s FloodWall product offered a promising solution to the increasing threat of property flooding, but it lacked supporting data and technical guidance to be most effective. This knowledge gap created barriers to wider market adoption.
The company partnered with the University of Leeds in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to access academic expertise in geotechnics, hydrology, and fluid dynamics.
The partnership was built upon the University’s strong track record in environmental research and innovation, applying evidence-based flood prevention technology and growing Andel's Flood Defence division.
Impact
- Knowledge Transfer Partnership shared knowledge in fluid dynamics to support enhanced flood defence technology, a digital FloodWall app, improved client reports, and staff upskilling.
- Strategic alignment of Andel’s growth in flood defence, resulting in increased sales turnover and expansion of the Flood Defence team.
Key information
- Major funders: Innovate UK
- Partners and collaborators: Andel Ltd
- Disciplines: data science, technology, environment
- Investigators: Dr Deva Vadibeler, Professor Joseph Holden, Professor Fleur Loveridge, Professor Andrew Sleigh.
Partnering to solve real-world problems
The KTP brought together Andel, a multidisciplinary academic team from the University of Leeds, and a highly skilled KTP Associate, Dr Devakunjari Vadibeler. It was managed collaboratively through regular Local Management Committee (LMC) meetings.
The team developed a range of tools, including new in-situ soil testing methods, decision-support documentation, and a FloodWall calculator app. The app enables users to input variables such as soil type and flood depth to determine optimum wall installation.
They also created training materials, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and technical reports to support client engagement.
The KTP Associate, Dr Deva Vadibeler, played a pivotal role, working across both environments to build and test new workflows.
The academic interdisciplinary team comprising Professor Joseph Holden (School of Geography), Professor Fleur Loveridge and Professor Andrew Sleigh (School of Civil Engineering) ensured rigour in the methods, while Andel integrated the outputs into its operations. Notable project milestones included:
- Field testing of soil sensors
- Development of a geotechnical decision tree
- Launch of a customer-facing FloodWall app
- Upskilling of installation and R&D teams.
When reflecting on the success of this partnership, Ian Blakemore, Knowledge Transfer Advisor for this project, said:
"The partnership exemplifies the KTP programme’s core objectives: embedding talent within industry, accelerating the transfer of knowledge and capability from the knowledge base into business, and delivering tangible economic and societal impact.
“By translating advanced research in hydrology, geotechnics and data modelling into practical, market-ready flood resilience solutions, the project demonstrates how KTPs can address real-world challenges in growing areas such as climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience."
Technological advances
The project was formally assessed by Innovate UK and awarded an “Excellent” grade, the highest possible rating for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership.
The partnership achieved all initial objectives and delivered added value. Key results include:
- A new data-driven design workflow
- A digital FloodWall app
- Enhanced client reports and simulations
- Upskilling of staff across the business
- Strategic alignment of Andel’s growth in flood defence.
These tools not only addressed the original knowledge gap but laid the groundwork for future products and services, such as site-specific surveys and bespoke flood resilience solutions.
Professor Joseph Holden commented when reflecting on the impact of the KTP, “The partnership with Andel allowed members of the academic team to each use their unique expertise and ideas to support the work and the solutions developed in a really collaborative and focused way.
“The project provides a great example of the benefits of interdisciplinary work in the water sector. It was extremely rewarding to see such directly useful outcomes that benefit not only Andel, but the wider community of people who live with the threat of flooding on their property.”
Business impact
Since the KTP began, Andel has seen significant commercial growth, including:
- Increase in sales turnover over two years, exports and an increase in profit before tax
- Expansion of the Flood Defence team and national installation network
- Investment in further R&D capability.
Andel’s data-driven approach differentiates it in the market, increasing trust with stakeholders and positioning the company for further growth in domestic and international flood resilience markets.
When reflecting on the impact for Andel, Peter Double, Manager Director, said: “This collaboration has enabled us to integrate cutting-edge academic research with our practical expertise, driving innovation across our product portfolio.
“Through the KTP, we have not only enhanced the technical capabilities of our solutions but also strengthened our ability to meet evolving market demands with confidence and agility. The partnership has fostered a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, which is vital for sustaining long-term success and growth.
“We believe that initiatives like this are instrumental in shaping the future of our industry and ensuring that our customers benefit from the most advanced and reliable technologies available.”
Future collaboration
This successful KTP has laid the foundation for future collaboration between Andel and the University of Leeds. Building on the outcomes of the project and its Excellent Innovate UK grading, discussions are now underway regarding a potential future KTP.
The academic team has incorporated learnings into curriculum development, including CPD for local authorities, and plans to publish research outputs based on the project.
More information
This work was kindly supported by Innovate UK [Knowledge Transfer Partnership Grant No: 10038852]. This funding enabled close collaboration between academic and industry partners, providing the resources and expertise required to conduct the research, analyse the findings, and translate the outcomes into meaningful industrial and scientific outputs. The authors gratefully acknowledge this support, which was instrumental in advancing the development and delivery of this project.
For more information on the KTP programme, contact [email protected].
