dws-eu-clusters-jong-dragomir-770px
As one of the founding members of the Energy in Water cluster, WaterCampus Leeuwarden in The Netherlands, represented by the Water Alliance, has been awarded the EU Cluster Partnership Award in 2016.

The award was handed to Pieter de Jong (right on top photo) who is the EU liasion officer for WaterCampus Leeuwarden.  

On the same occasion, Bianca Dragomir (left), general manager of Avaesen (Spain) was awarded the Cluster Manager of the Year 2016.

The award ceremony took place at the 2016 European cluster conference in Brussels, Belgium, on 1 December.

Show case international activities
The EU Cluster Partnership Award was organised for the first time, providing an opportunity for European strategic cluster partnerships to showcase their international activities.

The European Commission has selected 26 clusters that received the ESCP-4i label.

All together, these clusters gather about 150 organisations across 23 European countries, representing more than 17,000 European SMEs. The clusters support these SMEs in accessing global value chains and taking leading positions worldwide.

The European Commission had identified 3 finalists and the 350 conference participants choose the winning project.

dws-eu-cluster-scheme-350px The water-energy nexus links the supply of water (using less energy) to the supply of energy (using less water).

Energy-water nexus
The award winning Energy in Water (ENW) cluster partnership aims to support and harness the growth and innovation potential of European SMEs operating across the energy-water nexus.

The energy-water nexus refers to the interlinkage between the supply of water and energy. Water supply depends on energy and energy supply depends on water.

Both sectors, challenged by climate change, population growth and global sustainable economic development, encompass a range of shared opportunities and challenges.

Energy in Water is a network of 7 thematic sub-clusters from 6 EU countries that reaches 650 SMEs.

The founding members and leading organisations are: The Water Cluster (UK), Avaesen (ES), CD2E (FR), Clean (DK), Zinnae (ES), EA Eco Entreprises (FR) and the Water Alliance (NL).

dws-eu-cluster-cop22-display-350pxAt the COP22 in Marrakesh, the Energy in Water partnership signed its first international cooperation agreement with the Moroccan Association of Water (AMEPA).

Cooperation agreements
The international collaboration started in March this year with a networking event for European and Latin American businesses. Contacts were established with counterparts from Columbia, Mexico and Brasil.

Last month at the climate summit COP22 in Marrakesh, Morocco, the Energy in Water partnership signed its first international cooperation agreement with the Moroccan Association of Water (AMEPA).

Similar agreements with Tunisia, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia will be completed in early 2017.

About WaterCampus Leeuwarden
WaterCampus Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, facilitates businesses, educational institutes and governments within the water technology sector, in order to create synergy for world class innovation, education and entrepreneurship starting entrepreneurs.

At the campus specialised laboratories and demo sites are at the disposal of entrepreneurs and research organisations, providing them with all necessary means to develop an idea into a tangible product. 

The campus houses some 20 institutes and water technology - mainly spin off - companies. Wetsus is the initiating institute for the scientific research.

Also based at the campus is the Water Alliance, supportive to bringing new ideas to the market.

This news item is based on a press release published on the website of European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP).

Read also on this website
Water Tech Fest: Caught in the battle between game changers and game keepers, 27 May 2016
EIP Water conference: Start-ups and innovation is a difficult mix in a fragmented water sector, 11 February 2016
WaterCampus Leeuwarden welcomes first residents in new futuristic building, 27 January 2015
Dutch researchers to explore metal and phosphate recovery in world's biggest consortium on raw materials, 22 December 2014

More information
Energy in Water
c/o Global Sustainability Institute 
Cambridge, UK
+44 1223 698 867
www.energyinwater.eu

Water Alliance
Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
+31 58 284 9044
www.wateralliance.nl/en