Esade, UPC, the Port of Barcelona, Veolia, and IHCantabria join forces to boost competitiveness in the water sector in Europe
One Water, a cross-European partnership dedicated to addressing urgent water-related challenges, held its General Assembly on February 3rd and 4th, 2025, at the World Trade Center in the Port of Barcelona.
One Water is preparing its application to become the next Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) as part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. If successful, the application will provide the partnership with funding from the EIT to address critical issues such as water scarcity, flooding, pollution, biodiversity loss, and the sustainability of the blue economy. As an aspiring KIC, the partnership seeks to help foster innovation and provide bespoke training and educational programs on critical human resources, as well as promote economic growth within Europe's water sector.
“Our mission is to close the loop between the water, marine, and maritime sectors. We believe that, by innovating together, we can make water a new leading edge for Europe on the world stage,” declared Nuno Lorenço, coordinator at One Water. “At the end of the day, no matter if it's fresh or salt water, water is one body. This philosophy is the underlying foundation of One Water. We were established with a belief in true interdisciplinarity across sectors and water domains.”
Under Portuguese coordination, the consortium brings together experts and stakeholders from across Europe. The General Assembly meeting in February represented a crucial opportunity for members to collaborate and advance their shared goals. The General Assembly was hosted by the Spanish consortium partners, including the Port of Barcelona, the multinational water management company, Veolia, higher education institutions such as the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) and Esade Business School, and research institutions such as the Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria), in addition to several other partners, all uniting their resources and expertise.
"At Esade, we are committed to and aligned with the impacts that the EIT expects from the KIC Water at different levels: economically, by driving the creation and growth of innovative solutions; educationally, through the development of entrepreneurial skills; and socially, by addressing key challenges in water, marine, and maritime ecosystems, including water scarcity, droughts and floods, the blue economy, and the degradation of blue ecosystems," stated Esteve Mogas, professor in Esade’s Department of General Management and Strategy and Esade’s representative in One Water. "Esade's experience in creating Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) dates back to 2011, and it was one of the academic institutions that led the creation of KIC InnoEnergy (now EIT InnoEnergy). Building on this foundation, we are helping establish a new European consortium focused on water challenges," he added.
The event featured speeches by Albert Dalmau, Regional Minister for the President’s Office of the Catalan Regional Government (Generalitat), and Jordi Valls, Fourth Deputy Mayor for the Area of Economy, Tax, Economic Promotion and Tourism at Barcelona City Council, both declaring their support for One Water's candidacy. Dalmau highlighted the Government of Catalonia’s commitment to sustainability, efficient water management, and the blue economy, as well as to research and training of talent in these areas. Valls, for his part, pointed out Barcelona's historical relationship with water and the sea as well as its status as a capital in terms of research, technology, and innovation and the existence of a network comprising the public sector, academia, and business community that has led to the rise of a business creation ecosystem.
