Water and future: crisis or challenges and opportunities?

SYMSITES at TRANSFIERE 2024

Málaga (Spain) has recently hosted “TRANSFIERE”, Europe’s largest gathering on Research and Development (R&D), Innovation, and Knowledge Transfer in the water sector. The most recent edition of this event, held from 20th to 22nd March 2024, brought together over 4 500 professionals from the R&D&I ecosystem, to delve into pressing issues and innovative solutions.

During the event sessions, SYMSITES partner ITG participated in “Water and the Future: Crisis or Challenges and Opportunities?”. This talk was attended by 40 participants and addressed the challenges posed by climate change, population growth, and other factors, exerting unprecedented pressures on water resources worldwide. 

Moderated by the Spanish Water Technology Platform, the panel, which included speakers from multinational corporations, start-ups, and governmental bodies, explored how Research and Development (R&D) initiatives contribute to navigating the uncertain future of the water sector.

The talk served as a forum to explore the challenges confronting the water sector such as climate change or overpopulation, leading towards increased tension in water usage.

SYMSITES stood out as an example of collaborative innovation, whose proactive approach can pave the way to develop and test new frameworks and tools to enhance sustainability in using both industrial and societal resources. Among these resources, water plays a key role, emphasising the project’s significance in addressing the challenges faced by the water sector.