The WATERLINE project achieved another milestone with its Expert Workshop on Policy Guidelines for Digital Water Education, Research and Innovation, bringing together 25 leading researchers, educators, policy advisors, and from across Europe. Co-organised and hosted by Maria Lima Toivanen (SITES) and Jan-Hendrik Körber (Turku University of Applied Sciences), the event was a pivotal step in refining recommendations aimed at empowering Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to drive digital transformation in the water sector.

The workshop focused on validating a set of clustered policy recommendations that emerged from:

• extensive research on digital water innovation ecosystems
• evaluation of capacity-building activities
• evaluation of virtual learning tools developed by WATERLINE

These clusters outline actionable strategies for strengthening digital water innovation ecosystems and HEIs prominent role in them, aligning with the project’s mission providing the research pillars as foundations for sustainable and technologically advanced water management.

The Four Clusters of Policy Guidelines:

1.  Network of Emulative Centres – Proposes expanding HEI-led digital learning hubs to promote innovation and cross-border collaboration.
2. Digital Water HEI Alliance Consolidation – Focuses on formalising alliances, joint academic and professional degrees, and innovation activities to bridge academia and industry.
3. Educational Policies and Curricula – Recommends updating policies to embed digital water content in curricula, empower educators, and foster interdisciplinary learning.
4. Regional Specialisation – Advocates aligning HEI activities with regional innovation policies to address local needs and leverage regional innovation potential.

“Workshop was a showcase of immense value that brought together diverse perspectives from international digital water experts to shape policy frameworks supporting collaboration, innovation, and sustainability,” described Maria Lima Toivanen, innovation ecosystems expert and workshop organiser.

“Insights from the experts who participated in this workshop ensure that the guidelines proposed by WATERLINE are not only visionary but also grounded in practical realities,” stated Jan-Hendrik, senior advisor and workshop co-organiser.

This International workshop had at its core WATERLINE’s commitment to Quadruple Helix collaboration, bringing together academia, industry, policymakers, and civil society and leveraging Smart Specialisation Strategies to ensure regional relevance and impact.

The policy guidelines discussed with the experts will be analysed to inform a Report Policy Exploitation and Guideline Recommendations for Embedding Digital Water Technologies in Education, to be published by WATERLINE, to serve as foundation for actionable policy briefings at national and EU levels. Through these guidelines, WATERLINE reinforces its role in building human capital and technological capacity to lead Europe’s water sector into a digital future.