A new national research network has been launched to improve flood protection for homes and businesses, bringing together experts from five UK universities alongside government, industry and local communities.
Known as PFRnet+, the network is jointly led by the universities of Hull and the West of England (UWE Bristol), with researchers from the universities of Birmingham, Leeds and York.
It aims to improve the evidence behind Property Flood Resilience (PFR), accelerate the development of protective products and help ensure research is translated into practical solutions.
The initiative responds to the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) commitment set out in the FloodReady Action Plan, published during Flood Action Week in 2025, to establish a national network addressing research and innovation needs in property flood resilience.
The action plan warned that around 6.3 million properties in England are already at risk of flooding. This figure is projected to rise to around eight million by the middle of the century, equivalent to one in four properties.
Property flood resilience measures can help reduce damage when flooding occurs and allow homes and businesses to recover more quickly.
PFRnet+ will focus on five priorities: improving flood protection products and testing standards; developing resilient building materials and retrofit solutions; using data and technology to support better decisions; putting communities at the centre of flood resilience; and encouraging investment through insurance, finance, policy and regulation.
Professor Stuart McLelland, Professor of Water Science at the University of Hull and joint lead for the network, said: ‘PFRnet+ delivers directly on the FloodReady Action Plan launched during Flood Action Week last year. Responding to the scale and urgency of flood risk requires greater coordination between researchers, industry, government and communities.
‘By bringing that expertise together around shared priorities, we can accelerate innovation and build the evidence needed to make properties and communities more resilient to flooding.’
The University of Hull already has specialist facilities for developing and testing flood protection products. Its Property Flood Resilience Innovation and Testing Laboratory (PFRlab), developed with the Environment Agency and Flood Re, supports manufacturers in improving existing products and developing new ones. The laboratory is approved to test flood resilience products against British Standards.
UWE Bristol brings expertise in putting property flood resilience measures into practice, with research that has helped inform changes to UK flood-risk management policy and practice.
The network will connect existing research groups with commercial businesses, public bodies and other organisations through a collaborative approach described as a “network of networks”.
It will also develop a national Property Flood Resilience Research and Innovation Roadmap to guide research and investment over the next decade.
Professor Jessica Lamond, Professor of Real Estate and Climate Risk at UWE Bristol and joint lead for PFRnet+, said: ‘We know that flooding is the most costly and widespread natural hazard in the UK, and we need to develop greater capabilities to inform a national response to the issue which affects millions of people.
‘At UWE Bristol we work with stakeholders to build expertise and confidence in PFR. The PFRnet+ is a crucial next step, bringing academia and industry together to understand what works and why.
‘The network will develop a research and innovation roadmap that will direct activity and implementation of property flood resilience for the next decade and drive forward a much-needed step-change. Through a national hub that brings together research findings, performance data and best practice, we want the evidence gathered to unlock greater public and private investments in PFR.’