Digital Innovation for Water Sector Resilience – IDEATION cross-country Multi-Stakeholder Forum
April 16th, 2026 | 9.30-13.30 | Brussels

Europe is accelerating the digital transition of the water sector through ambitious initiatives, including the development of digital twins for the ocean and inland waters. The IDEATION project supports the European Commission in advancing interoperable digital twins of inland waters, aligned with the European Digital Twin Ocean. On 16 April 2026, in collaboration with Water Europe and back-to-back with Water Market Europe, IDEATION will host a cross-country Multi-Stakeholder Forum dedicated to digital innovation in water management.

The Forum will bring together water industry, policymakers, researchers, digital solution providers, and the European Commission to:

• Present the IDEATION roadmap for Digital Twins of inland waters;
• Discuss technical and governance challenges of digital solutions (Digital Twins, data governance, AI);
• Share lessons learned from real-world implementation;
• Foster collaboration across European digital water initiatives.

A reference use case co-created with stakeholders in the Barcelona metropolitan area will be presented, addressing urban water management challenges. This demonstration illustrates how digital twin technologies can move from conceptual design to operational deployment in complex urban environments.

The Forum offers a space for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and strategic alignment between research, policy, and industry, contributing to resilient, sustainable, and data-driven water management systems across Europe.

In the afternoon, Water Market Europe (WME) 2026, organised by Water Europe, will translate the morning’s discussions into action. WME 2026 will focus on accelerating digital innovation uptake by:

• Addressing technological needs identified in EU-funded digitalisation projects;
• Facilitating matchmaking between innovators, utilities, investors and solution providers;
• Supporting market deployment of sustainable and scalable water solutions.

To check the full agenda for the forum, please click here.