Partnerships

Water security for the planet (Water4All)

Water security for the planet (Water4All)

Partnership website: https://www.water4all-partnership.eu/

The Water4All Partnership -Water Security for the Planet- is a co-funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU's competitiveness and growth.

The objective of the initiative is to boost systemic transformations across the entire water research – innovation pipeline, fostering the matchmaking between problem owners and solution providers.

It proposes a portfolio of multi-national, multi-faceted and cross-sectoral approach, encompassing policy, environmental, economic, technological and societal considerations to enable water security for all on the long term.

By 2030, it intends to achieve reduced water stress, increased protection of water resources and ecosystems and enhanced resilience, mitigation and adaptation of water systems to global changes.

Draft partnership proposal (May 2020)

Contact

Commission services: Panagiotis Balabanis

Partners: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) - Olivier Bouc

What are partnerships?

Partnerships group the EC and private and/or public partners, to coordinate and streamline the research & innovation initiatives and funding in some selected key domains.

How to use partnerships?

  • orientation
    Partnerships publish strategic documents, e.g. outlining the main research and innovation challenges or key focus points.
  • networking
    Partnerships often organise events, such as info days, brokerage events, etc. Meet potential partners and learn about the nuances that are not visible in the official documents.
  • ecosystem analysis
    Partnerships typically have an advisory board, and publish impact studies of previous actions. These are good sources of information to uncover the main R&D&I players in the domain.
  • steering the agenda
    Partnerships collaborate with the EC on outlining the strategy and the future funding opportunities in their domain, based on input from industry, academia, and other stakeholders.

Testimonial

image of Autoship - a new and durable way of freight transport

Autoship - a new and durable way of freight transport

Autoship is, as the name suggests, an acronym for autonomous ship. Just like with self-driving cars, the possibilities of an unmanned boat seem endless. It can create more efficient freight transport, around the clock deliveries and these are just a few of the examples. The project has two societal challenges.

At first, De Vlaamse Waterweg was a bit hesitant as their experience with FP7 or Horizon 2020 projects was limited and they had not been very successful up until then. The fact that they were already doing basic research on the topic of autonomous boats, and the administrative help of NCP FLanders helped De Vlaamse waterweg to cross the line and get involved.