Water Innovation Europe

2021

WE advocate for water

WE Collaborate for water 100Speakers

600 registrations

6700+ social media viewers

5 sessions

10 side events

Each session related to key water-related dossiers

Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive

Zero-Pollution Action Plan

Sewage Sludge Directive

HorizonEurope

Industrial Emissions Directive

Water Diplomacy

WE connect people for water

EU Water-Smart Society for Global Leadership

Projects contributing to water-smart policy.

10 keynotes speeches

6 awards

Water Europe (WE) is the voice and promoter of water-related innovation and RTD in Europe. WE are a membership-based multi-stakeholder organisation representing over 230 members from academia, industry, technology providers, water users, waterservice providers, civil society, and public authorities. WE activities and positions are guided by its Water Vision “The Value ofWater: Towards a Future-Proof European Water-Smart Society”.

Today more than ever, we need aEurope that restores and protects itswater resources. With the EU GreenDeal at the heart of EU policies,collaborative structures like yours aremore important than before..

Virginijus Sinkevičius.

Energy efficiency

Digital Water

Biodiversity

Textile strategy

5 main sessions stressing the role of the Innovative water community

to develop a green and digital water sector in order to make the

difference across the world.

Water-Smart Industry for EU

Competitiveness & Autonomy

Untapped water opportunities:

Urban & Rural Reuse water!

An Water-Smart EU for global impact!

Inclusiveness in the European Commission’s revision processes iscrucial for knowledge and inputs shared from all perspectives.

Collaboration and good partnerships are cornerstones for aimingto water & energy efficiency in industrial processes. Particularly,Living Labs are important to experiment with different problemsacross Europe.

Leverage industrial water efficiency, cascading and reused waterin regulatory standards.

Societal responsibility starts by investing in building awarenessaround data, Upscaling skills workforces and bringing youngergenerations on board.

We need to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest.

Having a common assessment of what is clean water, sharingcommon requirements and fully exploit the Value in Water.

Digitalisation and collaboration are two great pillars of hopefor addressing the complexities of the water-relatedchallenges and create positive narrative around circular watermanagement.

The Water Oriented Living Labs is a key instrument for theimplementation of new water technologies and citizenengagement.

We need to address contaminants of emerging concern forrural and urban areas.

The challenge is in our cultural mindset and values: How do we value resources and systems?

To achieve the COP21 goals, we need a fair, decarbonized and circular development model that makes roomfor innovative solutions, change of narratives and new ways of thinking.

Sustainable finance is key for supporting investments in water efficiency, reuse, circular solutions andrestoration of ecosystems.

A EU model must be inclusive and connect the dots across the quadruple helix and the whole waterecosystem to recognize and realize the Value of Water and build Water-Smart Societies.

We need to improve harmonised policy rules across the globe forsustainability.

Water is local and water availability targets must take the localsituation into account.

Digital water matters to support other sectors. We need toaccelerate the development of digital water.

Need strong collaboration and partnerships across sectors.Collaboration across the value chain and coherence are needed,particularly for energy neutrality in the water sector by 2030 .

European companies underestimate the water risks. We mustraise the Value of Water to make sure that we are on our way tobuild a Water-Smart Society by fully mastering water efficiencyand reused challenges by 2050.

Water is also your business !

WOLLs: a tool to build a EU

Water-Smart Future

Innovation goes beyond technology: finance, governance.Therefore, we need equitable innovation and political will to make

water a global and local priority.

Water Oriented Living Labs is a inclusive and collaborative

structure that includes multiple groups of stakeholders, breaks the silos, delivers results and solutions to targeted problems.

The public and youth must be included in the management ofwater by investing in real-time information and giving access to

data on effectiveness and efficiency of the local watermanagement systems.

The biggest challenges are collaboration, bringing people together,sharing information, and connecting these technologies. There are

what we need to work on.

Let’s recap : What should we take with us ?

Companies’ Cost for water risks is 5 times higher

than the cost of addressing them

(CDP 2020)

x5

5 Keynote Speakers during the week

Virginijus SINKEVIČIUSCommissioner for

Environment

Lithuania

Vahap SEÇERMayor of the Metropolitan

city of Mersin

Turkey

Alexander VANDERSMISSENMayor of Mechelen

Belgium

Loïc FAUCHONPresident of World

Water Council

France

Inês dos SANTOS COSTASecretary of State for the

Environment

Portugal

Energy and water go hand in hand to achieve ourtargets by 2030.

Water is a key vector for health and quality of life.

Harmonised and coordinated water qualitymonitoring and water quantity are needed toensure trustable data and transparency.

Catch-up Side Events Outcomes !

EU Water Alliance

The Commission is more aware about the Value ofWater, compared to 5 years ago.

Responsibility to young people must be increased.

More actions are needed to face the emergencyof water-related challenges.

The combined impact of climate change and thereaching of planetary boundaries, makes the issueof inclusive governance more pressing and urgent inpolicy development.

It is important to strengthen the uptake of R&I insociety as an “impact pathway to societal impact”.

Innovation & new approaches are needed to increaseits resilience to water scarcity and climate change,protecting the economy, the environment and itscultural heritage.

Water Scarcity cannot be tackled from a narrow &sectoral perspective. Collaboration is necessary,sharing knowledge, fostering innovation and educatingall actors in the society.

The cross-sectoral Programme led by EIT Food to findsolutions to tackle water scarcity matches the needsand potential solutions by engaging severalstakeholders on the ecosystem.

Thank you all for your contribution!

Adina Braha-Honciuc, MicrosoftAlain Dedieu, Schneider & Digital EuropeAlexander Gerber, Rhine-Waal UniversityAlexander Vandersmissen, City of MechelenAlexis de Kerchove, XylemAndrea Rubini, Water EuropeAndres Lucht, DechemaAndrew Collier, SuezAneta Willems, European CommissionAnna Maria Kullberg, SundvallAntonia Lorenzo, BioazulBeate Hambsch, TZWBéen Frederic, KWRBenjamin Hermans, De WatergroepBlanca Antizar, Isle Utilities Broko Radivojevic, University of NisCarmen Galindo, EIT FoodCharlotte Boeckaert, VITOChrysi Laspidou, University of ThessalyClaudia Topalli, IDEXXClaudio Bernardo Carini, CIIP SpaColm Gaskin, Central Solutions LtdDavid Martin, EcolabDiane d’Arras, IWADimitris Kokkinakis, Impact Hub AthensDurk Krol, Water EuropeEdoardo Guerrini, Engitech technologies SpAEdouard Sellier, Bureau d’écolonomieErik Pentimalli, European CommissionEva Martinez, AqualiaFrancesco Fatone, Marche Polytechnic UniversityFrans Van de Ven, TU DelftGeorge Kyriakarakos, Centre of Research and Technology HellasGeorge Papadakis, Agricultural University of AthensGodecke Blecken, Luleå UniversityGonzalo Delacamara, IMDEA AguaGuillermo Zaragoza, CIEMATHans Gossens, De WatergroepHasmik Barseghyan, EYPWHedviga Horvathova, Technical University of KošiceHervé Buisson, VeoliaIlan Katz, H2OLLInês dos Santos Costa, Portuguese State Secretary for EnvironmentIngrid Keupers, De WatergroepIoana Dobrescu, WetskillsJaime Flores, Canal Isabel IIJappe de Best, Avans UniversityJens Prisum, CALL CopenhagenJeroen Rijnhart, CEWJoachim D’Eugenio, European CommissionJohan Schaar, SIPRI

Jos Frijns, KWRJosef Klinger, TZWJoshua Gallegos, Field FactorsJulia Rinck, TZWLaurent Horvath, Blue Ark Smart WaterLea Appulo, Wetlands InternationalLena Goldkuhl, Luleå UniversityLoïc Charpentier, Water Europe Loïc Fauchon, world water councilManon Berge, ActeonMarcin Dabrowski, TU DelftMarco Evertz, VDI/VDE Innovation Maria Cristina Pasi, IZARMathilde de Jongh, DelflandMauro Scalia, EuratexMedema Gertjan, KWRMercedes Yartu, PepsiCoMichel; Blind, EurAquaMirjam Wolfrum, CDP EuropeMyriam Boveda, European CommissionNaomi Timmer, H2O peopleNorwegian University of Life SciencesOriana Romano, OECDPaul Nunesdea, Col.lab | Digital Collaboration AcademyPernando Bañón, Sanlucar Group AgriculturePernille Weiss, Member of Parliament - EPPPeter Trillingsgaard, GrundfosProf. Attilio Toscano, University of BolognaRafael Casielles, BioazulRasha Hassan, H2O peopleRhys Hellin, Dwr Cymru Welsh WaterRichard Elelman, EurecatRosa Esposito, Ilse UtilitiesRuth McNeil, Scottish WaterSébastien Soleille, BNP ParibasSimos Malamis, NTUASophie Aujean, WaterAid,Stefan Jansen, DeltaresTanja, Miškova, Slovenian Ministry of Foreign AffairsThomas Seitaridis, DEYAPHTobias Kipp, LEW WasserkraftTom Vereijken, WaterschapTomas Michel, Water EuropeTristan Debuigne, IXSANEVahap Seçer, Metropolitan municipality of MersinVictor Beumer, Victor Beumer ConsultancyVirginijus Sinkevičus, Commissioner - European CommissionVondra Alexandr, Member of Parliament - ECRWendy Francken, EWAWim Audenaert, AM-TeamWim van Vierssen, Aveco de Bondt

WE Collaborate. WE Advocate. WE Innovate.

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