The European One Water consortium is being coordinated by +ATLANTIC, with national participation now led by Águas de Portugal, supported by other Portuguese partners already involved in the consortium or who may join in the future.

The initiative, with explicit backing from the Portuguese Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Lisbon City Council, strengthens the national ambition to position itself as a European leader in innovation and sustainability within the water and ocean sectors.

At the first workshop with European partners, held from 27 to 29 May 2024 and organised by CoLAB +ATLANTIC, Maria Graça Carvalho, Minister of Environment and Energy, and Lídia Bulcão, Secretary of State for the Sea, discussed the importance of innovative public-private partnerships and cross-sectoral cooperation in addressing ocean and water-related challenges, highlighting the Portuguese government's commitment to advancing sustainable practices and harnessing technological innovations in these sectors.  

This second workshop further advanced the consortium’s strategy for the KIC Water bid, involving representatives from various Portuguese entities, including Águas de Portugal, +ATLANTIC CoLAB, Fórum Oceano, Sociedade Francisco Manuel dos Santos, the University of Lisbon, the Portuguese Environment Agency, the Directorate-General for Maritime Policy, and other key public and private sector actors. Guidelines and next steps were discussed to ensure Portugal is at the forefront of the proposal submission to the EIT in 2025, with the official creation of the KIC Water anticipated for 2026.

Participants emphasised the importance of effective collaboration between all stakeholders, recognising that this KIC will be a critical platform for addressing challenges related to water scarcity, marine ecosystem degradation, and climate change. The KIC Water will also promote the development of modern technologies and innovative solutions for the sustainable management of water and the ocean.

The One Water Consortium is an initiative aimed at creating a pan-European platform to tackle emerging challenges in the water and ocean sectors. Coordinated by CoLAB +ATLANTIC, the consortium seeks to develop a European-wide bid for the EIT KIC Water, Marine, and Maritime (KIC Water), with the ambition to develop innovative and cross-sectoral solutions to the KIC challenges proposed by the EIT (such as water scarcity and flooding, ecosystem restoration, and the circular blue economy). It will foster the creation of businesses, development of innovation ecosystems, and the establishment of start-ups and scale-ups, while promoting and developing a workforce prepared for future challenges in these key sectors.