EIT Water is Europe’s innovation community for water, marine and maritime systems. We connect industry, innovators, researchers, educators and policymakers to tackle the most urgent water challenges-from scarcity, drought and flooding to pollution and ecosystem decline.
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By bringing together the right expertise, investment and partners, we help new ideas flow into real-world solutions that strengthen Europe’s water resilience, support the blue economy and protect ecosystems from source to sea.
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EIT Water is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

Europe’s water, marine and maritime (WMM) systems face urgent challenges - from ecosystem degradation and pollution to climate risks and resource scarcity. To secure a sustainable future, we must close skill gaps, drive innovation, and scale impactful solutions across sectors. EIT Water connects Europe’s best minds to tackle these critical issues and accelerate the transition to resilient, circular and thriving water ecosystems.

EIT Water was created to:

•  Strengthen Europe’s water innovation capacity
• Overcome fragmentation by building connected innovation ecosystems from source to sea
• Amplify the impact of existing strengths, assets and initiatives across Europe
• Unlock investment in sustainable water and blue economy solutions
• Develop a skilled workforce able to respond to existing and emerging challenges
• Support businesses and innovators to scale solutions across borders
• Contribute to climate resilience, circularity and ecosystem restoration

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EIT Water is not a traditional water cluster or national network, nor are we a Horizon 2020 funding programme. We are a pan‑European innovation community with a mandate to deliver systemic impact. Here’s what makes us different:

• We unite the European water ecosystem: we are the only pan European initiative integrating water, marine and maritime innovation. This is built to overcome fragmentation, amplify regional strengths and enable systemic innovation across Europe.
• We deliver place-based innovation - we operate through a strong network of 8 regional hubs linked to a central innovation engine, ensuring innovation is place based, connected and scaled across Europe.
• We drive Knowledge Triangle impact - we combine education, innovation and business creation in one coordinated model, plugging capability gaps and strengthening the entire value chain.

We collaborate for success - we bring together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, funders and communities, enabling ideas, people and solutions to move freely and achieve impact faster.

We focus on tackling Europe’s most urgent water challenges. Specifically, our key objectives will focus on solving:

• Skills and mindset gaps in the WMM workforce
• Fragmentation and disconnect within and between WMM sectors
• Marine and freshwater ecosystem degradation and compromised water quality
• Limited water efficiency, recycling and resource circularity
• Vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and external threats

We connect industry, innovators, researchers, educators and policymakers to tackle the most urgent water challenges-from scarcity, drought and flooding to pollution and ecosystem decline. By bringing together the right ideas, ingenuity and investment, we build real-world solutions that strengthen Europe’s water resilience, support the blue economy and protect ecosystems from source to sea.
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In 2027,EIT Water will launch activities across three interconnected streams:

• Entrepreneurial skills – equipping Europe’s workforce with the skills needed for a sustainable blue economy
• Business Creation – helping entrepreneurs start, grow and finance impact driven water ventures
• Scaling Innovation – supporting breakthrough solutions and large-scale demonstration projects

These streams will be delivered through nine “Action Programmes” forming our Systemic Innovation Engine.

In 2026, we are preparing the Strategic Agenda, setting up the organisation and engaging members to design these programmes.

2026 is EIT Water’s startup year. In 2026 we will:

• Establish our governance, legal structures and headquarters
• Setup our eight regional hubs
• Co‑create our first Strategic Agenda (2026–2032) with members
• Develop Roadmaps for our activity streams across Entrepreneurial skills

Business Creation and Scaling Innovation

• Prepare funding processes for 2027
• Begin community engagement and onboarding
• Organise early workshops, pilots and networking activities

Full programmes and funding opportunities begin in 2027.

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EIT Water operates through a network of 8 regional hubs that bring together members, expertise and innovation ecosystems across Europe. They anchor EIT Water's work across Europe and drive place-based systemic innovation, ensuring regional strengths are amplified and connected. Each hub will:

• Connect local and regional strengths to European level impact by amplifying local innovation capabilities.
• Engage and mobilise local and regional partners and talent, building place-based innovation ecosystems.
• Support implementation of Action Programmes, ensuring solutions are tested, demonstrated and scaled.
• Host workshops, events and pilot activities to foster collaboration and deliver regional impact.
• Help identify regional priorities and capabilities.

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Open calls for our three activity streams of Entrepreneurial Skills, Business Creation and Scaling Innovation will begin in 2027.

In 2026, the EIT water website will provide further information about:

• Pilot activities
• Early engagement opportunities
• Community events
• How to register interest for 2027 calls

EIT Water is engaging a broad ecosystem of organisations and individuals across the water, marine and maritime (WMM) sectors and ecosystems to tackle the most urgent water challenges from scarcity, drought and flooding to pollution and ecosystem decline. Our members can include:

• Universities and higher education institutions
• Research organisations
• Startups and SMEs
• Corporates and technology developers
• NGOs and civil society groups
• Utilities, municipalities and public authorities
• Investors, funders and financial institutions

The formal membership model will be published in 2026.

If you would like to register your interest to become an EIT Water member, then please contact us here.

Members benefit from:

• A powerful European community - immediate curated access to leading corporates, utilities, researchers, startups, and public actors across the water sector
• Real project development - opportunities to lead funded programmes or co-develop high-impact innovation projects; not just networking but active collaboration
• Access to funding and investment pathways - opportunities to secure funding, co-invest, and connect with capital to develop and scale solutions
• Early access to innovation - first look at emerging technologies, startups, and research to invest in or partner with before they hit the wider market
• Testbeds to pilot your solutions - opportunities to validate technologies in real-world environments and reduce deployment risk
• Faster routes to market - partnerships and channels that help you commercialise and scale across Europe
• Skills, talent and capability building - programmes that develop your people and strengthen your organisation’s innovation capacity.
• A voice in shaping the agenda - influence priorities, programmes, and the future direction of water innovation in Europe
• Stronger visibility and positioning - be recognised as a key player in a high-profile, EU-backed innovation ecosystem

As a member during 2026, you can:

• Connect with your regional hub for collaboration opportunities
• Register for updates and engagement opportunities
• Express interest in upcoming Action Programmes
• Participate in thematic consultations
• Attend early events and community meetings, including our EIT Water Launch Event

We deliver innovation through a coordinated, place-based framework that unites islands of excellence across Europe from source to sea and amplifies their collective impact. This approach will:

• Integrate our interconnected activity streams of Entrepreneurial Skills, Business Creation and Scaling Innovation
• Align nine Action Programmes under one strategy
• Support demonstration, scaling and adoption
• Link regional ecosystems with Europe‑wide impact
• Ensure solutions address real market and societal needs
• Bridge the gap between policy, research and industry

This approach is designed to activate Europe’s collective capabilities and unlock systemic impact.

This is because water systems are connected from source‑to‑sea: rivers,coasts, ports, oceans, freshwater, wastewater, surface and groundwater all influence each other.

Innovation in one area (e.g., wastewater treatment, flood protection, offshore energy) affects others.

Europe needs an integrated water innovation community. EIT Water is the first initiative with the mandate to unite these systems and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

EIT Water’s mission is to accelerate, not replace, existing efforts to transition Europe to sustainable, resilient and inclusive water systems.

We will work collaboratively with:

• National and regional government-funded initiatives
• Technology hubs
• Research alliances
• EU missions and partnerships
• Basin authorities, utilities, ports and municipalities
• NGOs and civil society members

Our focus is on:

• Leading and shaping the ecosystem’s strategic agenda, priorities, and policy needs
• ‍Connecting members, capabilities, and opportunities across the ecosystem
• ‍Developing skills, talent, and capabilities across the ecosystem
• ‍Creating innovation projects and building them into viable solutions and ventures
• ‍Scaling and commercialising ventures and enabling their adoption and expansion across markets

EIT Water’s goal is to accelerate solutions that protect water resources, build climate resilience, improve Europe’s competitiveness and strengthen Europe’s water security.

EIT Water primarily serves EU Member States, but organisations from associated countries and in some cases beyond) may participate depending on programme rules.

Full eligibility details will be published with the first calls in 2027.

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EIT Water is co‑funded by the European Union through the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). Funding begins at up to 100% for eligible costs, decreasing over time as the community progresses toward financial sustainability.

Our work is delivered through a network of strategically located regional hubs across Europe, connecting regional strengths to pan-European impact through place-based innovation ecosystems. EIT Water headquarters (HQ) is located in Aarhus, Denmark. Our regional hubs are:

• EIT Water Black Sea, Varna, Bulgaria (region covers Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine) – in 2026 the host for this regional hub is Marine Cluster Bulgaria
• EIT Water Central & Baltic, Berlin, Germany (region covers Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and Poland) - in 2026 the host for this regional hub is SUBMARINER
• EIT Water Central & Danube, Vienna, Austria (region covers Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland) - in 2026 the host for this regional hub is BOKU and TU Vienna
• EIT Water Iberian Peninsula, Málaga, Spain (region covers Portugal and Spain) - in 2026 the host for this regional hub is Innova IRV
• EIT Water North, Aarhus, Denmark (region covers Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) - in 2026 the host for this regional hub is Water Valley Denmark
• EIT Water South, Šibenik, Croatia (region covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Israel, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Tunisia) – in 2026 the host for this regional hub is DIH Innovamare
• EIT Water UK & Ireland, Leeds, UK (region covers the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada andNew Zealand) – in 2026 the host for this regional hub is the University of Leeds
• EIT Water West, Antwerp, Belgium (region covers Belgium, France, Luxemburg and the Netherlands) – in 2026 the host for this regional hub is Blue Cluster Belgium

EIT Water is currently led by an Interim Management Team (IMT) during the 2026 startup year:

• Hero Prins - Interim CEO
• Alison Cavey - Interim COO
• Charlotte Knowles - Interim CFO
• Balazs Furjes - Interim CCO
• Michelle Williams – Interim Coordinator

A permanent management team will be recruited during 2026.

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Interested organisations can visit our Partnerships page for more information and to understand the options for engaging with EIT Water. These organisations can also follow us on LinkedIn @eit-water to keep up to date with our latest developments.

Media enquiries can be directed to the EIT Water Communications team via our Contact page.

EIT Water places a strong focus on Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) areas, recognising that these regions often face unique challenges and opportunities in water, marine, and maritime innovation. Our approach prioritises capacity-building and integration by targeting the ‘missing middle’ of the innovation value chain - supporting promising concepts as they move from the laboratory to investor-ready demonstrators.
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We work closely with partners in RIS regions, anchoring three of our eight regional hubs in these areas to amplify local strengths and mobilise regional ecosystems. Through targeted grants, shared testbed access, coaching, and structured pipelines, we help innovators overcome barriers to scale and commercialisation. Our RIS strategy also integrates with broader European initiatives to maximise impact, ensuring balanced territorial development and fostering vibrant, competitive innovation communities across Europe.

EIT Water is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. Together with the EIT Community, Europe’s largest innovation network, we strengthen resilience, sustainability and competitiveness from source to sea.