Actions to deal water scarcity in Southern Europe

EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing, Athena Research Centre, Bioazul and TuDelf joint forces to face the real challenges around water scarcity.

All of this partners work together in the project “Water Scaricy in South” which aims to to enhance knowledge and overcome current barriers to tackle water scarcity in Southern Europe through innovation, entrepreneurship, education and communication. This programme carries out a series of activities, from research to innovation and education, to joint efforts and effectively find the appropriate solutions to water shortages in Southern regions, for Europe to lead the way towards a more sustainable future.

Here you have a timeline with the main actions of the project:

NOW YOU CAN DEAL WATER SCARCITY!

The project has several calls now open:

• Policy/governance experts: Individuals highly familiarized with European Water Framework Directive, as well as national, regional, and local initiatives on water scarcity in Southern Europe, especially for the key countries directly targeted in the Project: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Malta.
• Tech experts. Individuals highly familiarized with state-of-the-art technologies and market trends. Several sectors will be represented, including water management, water use in agriculture, water efficiency in manufacturing and raw materials, water treatment and distribution.
• Private sector experts: individuals with extensive experience in working with private sector companies in the water sector and other economic sector with challenges relevant to water scarcity.
• Financing experts: Individuals with deep knowledge on public financing schemes (i.e., Horizon Europe, public procurement, etc.) as well as private financing opportunities (credits, angel investors, funds, VCs, etc.).

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FOR MENTORS:

This call is intended to recruit up to 40 mentors to support innovators of the water sector. The mentors will participate in the InnoWise Scale programme whose objectives are the following:

• Support startups, scaleups (i.e. advanced startups with proven market fit) and innovative SMEs in the upscale, demonstration and commercialization of innovative solutions to tackle specific water-related problems across different sectors.
• Accelerate the market uptake of innovative solutions brought by startups /scaleups / SMEs working on water scarcity, by providing them with financial support and/or access to potential partners or customers.
• Ease the implementation of innovations developed by startups / scaleups / SMEs working on water scarcity and their market expansion by giving them access to demo sites.

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CALL FOR STARTUPS

The EIT – through the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) – is launching this call for startups, scaleups and SMEs with the target of supporting innovators to reach the market with innovative solutions tackling water scarcity in Southern Europe.

Forty applications will be selected to participate in the InnoWise Scale activities, which includes:

• Market-oriented trainings and 3-months mentoring period,
• Networking sessions with potential end-users
• Sectoral competitions, with the possibility to implement a demo site at the end of the period with potential end-users based in Southern European countries.

The InnoWise Scale activities provide a unique opportunity, tailored to the real needs of specific sectors (through problem holders’ participation). These market-oriented activities are intended to foster the market launch of advanced water-related technologies.

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