Major EU water innovation conference is to be held in Portugal
After Brussels, Barcelona and Leeuwarden, the 4th EIP Water conference is to be held in Porto, Portugal in September of 2017.
Porto successfully outbid several other applications. Guido Schmidt, who heads the secretariat for EIP Water, stated “The proposal made by Porto ultimately had the edge due to the clarity of the approach and evident strong support of the Portuguese organisations that back it, led by the Municipality of Porto and Aguas do Porto. We are delighted to have received five strong and varied proposals from all corners of the EU. It’s a pity we could not accept them all! We are confident that Porto will provide participants of the next conference with a rich and stimulating programme that furthers progress in innovation and builds European competitiveness in the water sector.”
The Consortium of Porto comprises five entities: the Municipality of Porto, Aguas de Portugal Group, Aguas do Porto (municipal water company), the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering and the Portuguese Water Partnership, with the political support of the Portuguese Government through the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. It has also the support of several scientific and technological partners, as well as Portuguese and international companies and professional associations that cover the water sector and innovation.
Typically with some 500-600 participants, this annual conference brings together policymakers, national and local government, operators, scientists, researchers, technology companies, financiers, start-ups, SMEs, utilities, city planners, industrial producers, journalists and EU institutions at the European, national and regional level to break down the barriers to innovation in the sector.
The 29 Action Groups within EIP Water showcase their work in solving major challenges with innovation in specific water-related areas, Europe’s best innovators compete in the EIP Water Innovation Award, and a series of side-events and site visits typically accompany the conference to give delegates a practical demonstration of the latest innovations in water.
The European Innovation Partnership on Water (EIP Water) supports the development of innovative solutions across the EU to tackle major water challenges and boost European competitiveness. Working in Action Groups, the expertise and resources of public and private organisations are united along the innovation chain at the EU, national and regional level to match demand with supply and create market opportunities both inside Europe and abroad. Please see: http://www.eip-water.eu/
14 of September of 2016