Aarhus becomes the center of Europe’s water innovation

Denmark has secured a central role in the future European development of water technology. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has just appointed Aarhus as the headquarters of the new EIT Water, an innovation network that will drive research, entrepreneurship and technology development within water, climate and marine ecosystems for the next 15 years. Aarhus University announced this in a press release.

Behind the initiative is the Allwaters consortium, which was established at Aarhus University with support from the Poul Due Jensen Foundation. The consortium has gathered 140 partners from 30 countries – including companies, universities and public institutions – and has now won the EU competition to host EIT Water.

“This is excellent! A redemption of a huge team effort from all the many talented and dedicated partners in the Allwaters consortium,” says Kim Nøhr Skibsted, Foundation Director at Poul Due Jensen Foundation/Grundfos Foundation.

He adds:

“EIT Water will be a huge help in both bringing existing knowledge into play and securing new knowledge in the areas that are lagging behind. This is crucial if we as a society want to achieve our ambitions.”

A network for innovation, entrepreneurship and talent

EIT Water will support innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe with a particular focus on new technologies for clean water, climate adaptation and sustainable resource management. The network will connect researchers, educators, startups and established companies and is expected to handle several hundred million euros over its 15-year period.

“Winning EIT Water is an impressive achievement that shows what is possible when vision meets collaboration. We are excited and proud of how Allwaters’ partners and other stakeholders have come together for a strong mission for Europe,” says Michelle Williams, Associate Dean at Aarhus University, who led the project office behind the application.

She adds that the goal now is to translate ambitions into concrete solutions and create lasting impact across the continent.

A strong ecosystem behind Aarhus

The Danish water sector has played a crucial role in the project. Behind Allwaters are players such as Grundfos, Danfoss, Danish Industry, Water Valley Denmark, DANVA, Aarhus Vand, Aalborg University, University of Southern Denmark, Aarsleff, SEGES and Kamstrup.

“For the Danish water sector, this is a crucial step towards strengthening our global leadership position in water technology. It opens the door for more innovation, increased exports and the green transition – and helps translate research into solutions that make a real difference for the climate and water resources worldwide,” says Søren Kvorning, CEO of Kamstrup.

EIT Water will be headquartered in Vandets Hus in Aarhus and have eight Co-Location Centers across Europe – in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain and the UK. One of the eight centers will also be located in Aarhus as the Nordic Co-Location Centre, where Water Valley Denmark brings together the Nordic partners from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

“This is the first time Denmark has received such a central position in European research and innovation, and it is a great recognition of our strong water sector,” says Eskild Holm Nielsen, Dean of Aarhus University.

He continues:

“We have a strong tradition of collaboration between universities, public organizations and business, and now we can help spread that tradition across Europe.”