European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs): announced by EC a Partnership related to Water
May 18
New and innovative approaches are needed to manage the growing pressure on water resources in a sustainable way. The European Commission, on May 14th has proposed to create an Innovation Partnership dedicated to Water. The European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) as proposed in the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative "Innovation Union" provide for a strategic approach and framework to address the weaknesses in the European research and innovation system to speed up innovations that make a significant contribution to solving societal challenges. This new Partnership related to water intends to bring together all relevant actors across borders and sectors such as small and medium sized enterprises, the research community, local governments, water-using industries and the financial sector trying to connect the supply and demand sides of water related innovations. To this end three working packages have been proposed: "urban water management","rural water management" and "industrial water management". A series of cross cutting themes will be also addressed such as climate changes, energy and water resources, water resources management, cooperation for the development in the water sector and financial engineering. The implementation of the European Partnership for Innovation related to water includes innovation sites, dissemination of breakthroughs and innovative solutions, removal of water innovation barriers and a water innovation 'market place' in the water sector. The partnership will identify how different funding programmes at EU, national and regional level as well as private sources can best interact in order to accelerate the development of innovative solutions, for example through making use of the network of eco-innovation financiers, established under the Eco-Innovation Action Plan. The EC will consider relevant support for the activities under the EIP through the 7th Framework Programme. Member States are encouraged to include relevant investments in the future programmes under the Structural Funds 2014-2020. The partnership proposed by EC will be now considered by the Council and the European Parliament to be approved by December 2012 and aims to be operational in early 2013.