Collage of three images: One of the seabed with coral and fishes, another one of a hand under running water and a third one of a vessel docked in a port

EIT Water launched: new European innovation community to accelerate solutions for water resilience

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has officially selected the consortium that will establish EIT Water, the EU’s new Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) dedicated to water, marine and maritime systems. This marks a significant development for European regions working on research and innovation, particularly those addressing climate adaptation, water resilience and the sustainable blue economy.

EIT Water will adopt an integrated, cross-ecosystem approach, combining freshwater, marine and maritime dimensions. Its activities will include entrepreneurial education, innovation support and business creation, connecting regional innovators, researchers and industry actors through the EIT’s pan-European network. .

The winning consortium, Allwaters, brings together 50 partners from 24 countries, including several actors familiar to the ERRIN network. Among them is the Region of Central Macedonia (an ERRIN member), Blue Cluster and SUBMARINER Network (collaborators in EU blue economy joint projects). Their involvement ensures that regional needs, maritime innovation ecosystems and place-based strategies will be well represented within the new KIC.

EIT Water will focus on three strategic challenge areas highly relevant for regions:

  1. Water scarcity, drought and floods;
  2. Marine and freshwater ecosystem degradation;
  3. A circular and sustainable blue economy.

As an open partnership, the KIC will welcome additional stakeholders over its 15-year lifespan, with activities expected to ramp up in 2026 and full operationalisation in 2027. 

The initiative will play a role in delivering the EU Water Resilience Strategy and the European Ocean Pact, offering regions new opportunities to engage in interregional cooperation, project development and innovation deployment. EIT Water represents a major new platform to connect expertise, mobilise investment and accelerate solutions across Europe’s varied freshwater and marine territories.

More information here.