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WATERVILL exists thanks to the diverse consortium that makes up its partnership, bringing together municipalities, universities, associations of local governments, and water organisations. The “Meet on Partners” series aims to present WATERVILL partners through short interviews, highlighting each organisation’s work, their role in the project and the team involved.
The series opens with the project partner University of Western Macedonia.
PARTNER OVERVIEW
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Organisation: University of Western Macedonia (UoWM)
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Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Laboratory: TELNAS (Telecommunication Networks and Advanced Services Laboratory)
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Location: Western Macedonia, Greece
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Staff: 800 at the University – 20 at TELNAS
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Expertise: IoT (Internet of Things ), decision support systems, smart water management
©University of Western Macedonia
ABOUT UoWM and TELNAS
CAN YOU SHARE AN INTERESTING DETAIL ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION?
The University of Western Macedonia is the only higher education institution in the Western Macedonia region of Greece, an area undergoing a significant energy transition as it moves away from lignite-based power generation.
This unique positioning has shaped UoWM’s research focus toward sustainable development, smart technologies, and innovative solutions to address regional challenges.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering hosts the Telecommunication Networks and Advanced Services (TELNAS) Laboratory, which specialises in developing intelligent systems that integrate IoT, machine learning, and decision support technologies for real-world applications.
Our research spans 5G and next-generation networks, Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, machine learning and multi-criteria optimisation.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH EU-FUNDED PROJECTS?
The TELNAS Laboratory has extensive experience coordinating and participating in EU-funded transnational projects focused on water management, environmental resilience, and decision support systems.
We have been involved in five EU-funded projects and seven national projects. In addition to WATERVILL, current projects include AquaResilient MEDiterranea, URBANFLOODS, RES2FIRE and UNIVERSWATER, which focus on developing intelligent tools, decision support systems, models and sensors for flood prevention, wildfire risk assessment, forest resilience, and the optimisation of water resources.
In the past, TELNAS also implemented the S.M.A.S.H. project, which focused on the timely detection of leaks and the optimal use of available water resources in the Greek city of Paramythia, in the Municipality of Souli.
WHAT DOES TELNAS’S WORK FOCUS ON?
TELNAS’s work focuses on research and innovation in advanced technologies.
Our research spans 5G and next-generation networks, Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, machine learning, and multi-criteria optimisation. We develop algorithms, systems and applications designed to introduce intelligence, adaptation, and personalisation into networks and services. These capabilities have been applied across multiple domains including smart cities, water management, precision agriculture, and energy systems.
UoWM and WATERVILL
WHAT EXPERTISE DOES YOUR ORGANISATION BRING TO WATERVILL?
TELNAS brings expertise in smart water management solutions, decision support systems, and advanced analytics.
Our team specialises in developing context-aware and predictive systems that can optimise water supply networks. We contribute technical knowledge in IoT-based monitoring, data-driven decision making and the integration of innovative technologies into strategic planning. TELNAS laboratory, through its cooperation with researchers and scientists from other institutions, brings expertise in water supply networks management both quantitative and qualitative. This expertise makes TELNAS capable to monitor and guide the testing activities in the project.
WATERVILL allows us to bridge academic research with practical implementation, developing solutions that can be replicated across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO ENGAGE IN WATERVILL?
We were motivated by the opportunity to apply our research expertise in advanced technologies to address a critical challenge facing Mediterranean communities: water scarcity and aging water infrastructure in rural and mountain areas. The region of Western Macedonia faces similar water management challenges, making WATERVILL directly relevant to our regional context.
The project allows us to bridge academic research with practical implementation, working alongside municipalities and local authorities to develop solutions that can be replicated across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST EXCITING ABOUT THE PROJECT?
The most exciting aspect of WATERVILL is the combination of technological innovation with community-driven solutions. The project brings together smart technologies – digital monitoring, leak detection, decision support systems – with nature-based approaches and local knowledge. We are particularly excited to see how our research translates into tangible improvements in water management for rural communities.
The opportunity to build a Regional Community of Practice that can spread these innovations across 14 countries makes WATERVILL truly impactful.
MEET THE PROJECT TEAM
The TELNAS team contributing to WATERVILL:
The WATERVILL team at TELNAS can be contacted at: watervill@lists.uowm.gr
FOR MORE
Learn more about UoWM and the TELNAS Laboratory on their website:
