Diving into Water-Related Challenges
Water is a precious resource facing global challenges such as scarcity and pollution. To address these issues, the 2023 CHARM-EU R&I Days hosted a co-creation workshop at the Universitat de Barcelona. Researchers and external stakeholders worked together to develop multidisciplinary research proposals focused on water-related challenges. The four main topics that emerged as central themes were water sustainability regulation, coastal sustainability, water reuse, and urban landscape. Participants had the opportunity to pitch their potential solutions and present how their proposal could be developed.
This in-person event on October 30 and 31, 2023 at the University of Barcelona, welcomed participants from diverse universities, backgrounds and expertise. The TORCH team has opened its doors to researchers from various renowned institutions, including the University of Barcelona, Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, University of Montpellier, ELTE, Julius-Maximilians University, and Hochschule Ruhr West, as well as valuable stakeholders. Together, they worked on building proposals with innovative solutions and secure a sustainable future for our planet.
Vanessa Viganò and Valérie Borrell from the University of Montpellier, José F. García from the Water Research Institute (Idra - University of Barcelona), and Adam Toth from Utrecht University, played a key role in orchestrating interactive sessions to facilitate networking and synergies between researchers and stakeholders. In addition, external stakeholders delivered engaging presentations: Jordi Cros from ADASA Sistemas, Lucia Gusmaroli from the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP) and Jeremy Clément from the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille. With the information provided by the International Research Projects Office from the University of Barcelona on European funding opportunities and inspired by the success of the Water4All project, participants embarked on brainstorming sessions, dividing themselves into groups to explore innovative ideas. The energy and commitment shown during these sessions were remarkable.
In their closing speeches, José F. García, from the Water Research Institute (Idra - University of Barcelona) and Jaime Llorca, CHARM-EU and TORCH Manager, expressed their confidence in the success of the co-creation workshop. The workshop has been a catalyst for fruitful future collaboration between our researchers and stakeholders. As we conclude this event, the TORCH team looks forward to the positive impact and innovative solutions that will emerge from these partnerships. The journey continues and together we are shaping a more sustainable future.
Thank you to all participants for their dedication and commitment during the CHARM-EU R&I Days 2023.