On 4-5 February, partners of WATERVILL gathered for the project’s official kick-off meeting, held in a hybrid format and hosted by the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FSB).
The meeting marked an important milestone for the project, bringing together all partners to formally launch collaboration and align on the next steps of implementation.
The event also welcomed a representative from the Interreg Euro-MED Joint Secretariat, whose participation provided valuable guidance on Programme implementation requirements and strategic aspects.
Joining online, representatives of the Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission presented its objectives and activities.
As one of the Interreg Euro-MED governance projects dedicated to amplifying the results of thematic projects, the ISE Mission, of which WATERVILL is part, makes a key contribution to increasing the impact of thematic projects’ results.
Last but not least, the WATERVILL partnership was pleased to welcome representatives of a fellow Interreg Euro-MED project, AquaBioNets. Also contributing to the ISE Mission, AquaBioNets focuses on accelerating the transition to sustainable aquaculture across the Mediterranean by promoting innovative, biodegradable net technologies.
AquaBioNets and WATERVILL are aligned in their objective of supporting the transition towards a sustainable Mediterranean region with climate-resilient communities.
Defining partners’ roles and responsibilities
Over the two days, partners worked closely to:
– Present and clarify each partner’s role and responsibilities
– Confirm the project timeline
– Agree on upcoming actions
At this stage, WATERVILL is fully engaged in its first work package, preparing the assessment of the current condition of water supply systems in the project’s four pilot municipalities and across the region.
Overall, these discussions ensured a shared understanding of project deliverables and coordination mechanisms, while also bringing strengthened dynamism to the partnership.
Field Visit to the Lazina Monitoring Station
A key highlight of the meeting was a field visit to the HydroStation monitoring system in Lazina, near Zagreb, developed by the company GEOLUX. The Lazina station is a solar-powered, fully autonomous hydrological station delivering real-time data. It is capable of operating autonomously for at least 30 days without solar input thanks to its battery backup.
The visit provided practical insight into innovative water monitoring technologies in operation, illustrating the type of smart, data-driven water management solutions WATERVILL aims to develop.
What’s next?
The next in-person meeting will take place during the Steering Committee session in September, in Valencia, Spain, hosted by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering.
In the meantime, partners will continue advancing WATERVILL’s activities, implementing the first phase of project actions across the pilot areas.
For updates on project progress, explore the news section of this website and follow WATERVILL on its LinkedIn and Facebook pages.
Geolux HydroStation in Lazina: the complete installation and setup procedure took less than 30 minutes on-site. The monitoring station is configured to measure water level and surface velocity every 15 minutes, while an attached camera captures an image every hour.
For more information:
- About the Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission, visit: https://innovative-sustainable-economy.interreg-euro-med.eu
- About the AquaBioNets project, consult: https://aquabionets.interreg-euro-med.eu/
- About the company GEOLUX and the Lazina monitoring station, visit : https://www.geolux-radars.com/about-us/ and click here
If you would like to learn more about the WATERVILL partners, consult “OUR STORY” section of this website.
