FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES FOR WATER TREATMENT & MANAGEMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (FP4BATIW)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Activities of International Cooperation
Destination: Reinforcing cooperation with European Neighbourhood Policy countries on bridging the gap between research and innovation
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: Spain,Italy,Tunisia,Italy,Palestine, State of,Egypt,Jordan
Call:  (FP7-INCO-2013-9, 2013)
Start date: 2013-10-01
End date: 2016-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1100648.9
EU funding (EUR): 993085.0
Participants: 13
Project status: CLOSED

FP4BATIW is a coordination and support action addressed to foster partnerships and networking aiming to implement the best available water treatment technologies in the MPC region by promoting the interaction between highly qualified members, both from EU and MPC, of the knowledge value chain on water treatment and corresponding stake holders community (national water agencies, municipalities, industrial waste water producers, entities managing business incubators, etc.) This action will lead to new approaches, tools and innovation, integrating sustainability aspects and allowing the collaboration between experienced and new teams for coaching and capacity building in cooperation and innovation. Such fostering activities will contribute to reduce the gap between research & innovation and the water treatment market enhancing synergies and allowing the concentration of efforts, know-how exchange, co-ownership and dialogue. FP4BATIW is founded over the activities carried out by several partners (13 members from EU and MPC) participating in different EU projects in the MPC region with a common central topic of water treatment technologies and the implementation of a platform of synergies around EU and MPC projects integrating water component for a capitalization, a concentration of the efforts and a maximization of the impacts and the resources (overcoming fragmentation and duplication and facilitating related TT). The regional cluster and cooperation activities that will be performed through 6 different work packages under FP4BATIW will provide additional links between research, technology enterprising and water users to enhance competitive research in water use efficiency. In this concern, 10% of the project budget has been earmarked for clustering activities to be organised with other on-going R2I projects targeting the MED region. These activities will be defined in coordination with the European Commission notably in the context of the International Learning Network (ILN), the idea will be to exchange information and best practices between the different projects and identify issues and possible activities of common interest in order to draft a roadmap for cooperation between the projects. The continuous cluster cooperation will contribute to adopt the Mediterranean Water Strategy and related Action Plan that will provide the financial and instrument framework for the future, partnerships to create conditions for competitive research in water use efficiency, use of non-conventional waters, risk management and regional joint funding for trans-basin cooperation and regional water innovation programme. Indicated activities will ensure coordination with relevant actions engaged by the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instruments (ENPI), the Preparatory Action funded by the European Parliament and those implemented through the EIT and its Knowledge Innovation Centres including the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

Keywords: water treatment technologies,nanotechnology,water saving,water use efficiency,unconventional water use,business model generation,cluster cooperation activities,strengthen mpc innovation chain