A joint workshop “H2020 Water Innovations for sustainable impacts in industries and utilities” was held in conjunction with the 3rd IWA Resource Recovery Conference, September 2019 and hosted by Smart Plant, NextGen, Project ô and Hydrousa.
The conference hosted over 300 water stakeholders and professionals from around the globe, who met in Venice to discuss and boost the impact of the latest scientific and engineering results, state-of-the-art technologies and eco- innovative solutions for sustainable treatment and recovery and reuse of renewable resources from the water cycle.
A post-conference workshop – “H2020 Water Innovations for sustainable impacts in industries and utilities” – was attended by over 70 delegates and invited stakeholders, representatives of water utilities, technology providers, policy makers, market segments and industries who agreed on potential impacts and results exploitability of large EU-funded innovation actions and discussed opportunities, barriers and challenges finally providing recommendations to be used as a vehicle for policy advice to competent EU authorities.
The main conclusions, collected in the final chapter of this report, include considerations on the importance and opportunity of digitalisation of water solutions, demonstration of the water-energy-food and nutrients nexus, development of niche markets and overcoming legislative, regulatory and social acceptance barriers to deliver circular economy in water management sector .