Water challenges via innovation partnership

The European Commission has proposed to boost innovation to deal with water related challenges by creating a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Water.

The EIP on Water will seek to align the activities and outcomes of existing European, national and regional activities.
Anticipated outputs of the EIP on water include:

  • Innovation sites to identify barriers to innovation; develop, test and demonstrate concrete activities, actions, prototypes and solutions in relation to particular water challenges;
  • Dissemination of breakthroughs and innovative solutions
  • Removal of water innovation barriers – regulatory, financial, standardization, technical, social, etc. – which hamper the successful delivery of innovations to the market; and
  • A water innovation ‘market place’ to promote interaction between those facing water problems and those who can provide potential solutions, regardless of their geographical location.

The EIP on water is expected be fully operational in early 2013 and to start delivering first results within one year.
The Communication on the EIP on Water will now be considered by the Council and the European Parliament.  If endorsed,

  • The Commissioner will invite participants for the High-Level Steering Group for a first meeting before the Summer.
  • The High-Level Steering Group will nominate a Task Force which will draft a Strategic Implementation Plan.

Adoption of the Strategic Implementation Plan by the High Level Steering Group is foreseen for December 2012 and aims to be operational in early 2013.
More Information 

http://europa.eu/rapid/showInformation.do?pageName=recentPressReleases&guiLanguage=en