The European Innovation Partnership on Water has today announced that the 4th EIP Water conference is to be held in Porto, Portugal in September of 2017.
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.
After Brussels, Barcelona and Leeuwarden, 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.”
Rui Moreira, Mayor of Porto, said “It is a great honour for the City of Porto to have the opportunity to host the 4th EIP Water Conference. This decision highlights that water is fully integrated in our Sustainability Strategy and plays an innovative lead role in the planning and design of our urban environment. Porto is working hard to become a living laboratory for smart urban technologies that can handle all the major systems a city requires – water, transport, security, green buildings, and clean energy. It also recognises that Portugal is an exceptional “case study” on water services and water resources, internationally recognised by the EU, OECD, EIB and the International Water Association (IWA).”
The conference will be held in the week of September 25, 2017 (an exact date and agenda will follow), with registration opening in the spring of 2017 via http://www.eip-water.eu/
