Start-up Plan proposal for EIT Water

This 2026 Start Up Grant Agreement is focussed on the establishment of the legal and operational structures of the future EIT Water KIC, the newest Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. EIT Water will be the leading global innovation community in the water, marine and maritime (WMM) space. Headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark, with eight co-location centres across Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the UK, EIT Water is an open and inclusive community of partners spanning the knowledge triangle. EIT Water’s mission is to accelerate Europe’s transition to sustainable, resilient and inclusive water systems by enabling coordinated, place-based systemic innovation across regions and sectors. We will connect industry, innovators, researchers, educators and policymakers to tackle the most urgent water challenges-from scarcity, drought and flooding to pollution and ecosystem decline. By bringing together the right expertise, investment and partners, we will help new ideas flow into real-world solutions that strengthen Europe’s water resilience, support the blue economy and protect ecosystems from source to sea.EIT Water will overcome fragmentation by unlocking the full potential across our water landscape, amplifying the impact of existing strengths, assets and initiatives across Europe, and enabling systemic innovation from the Arctic North to the Global South. We will deliver groundbreaking innovations, support impactful businesses to scale solutions across borders, and develop a skilled workforce able to respond to existing and emerging challenges. In doing so, EIT Water will help secure Europe’s water future: protecting its water resources, building its climate resilience, improving its competitiveness, and strengthening its security. Our vision is a Europe where healthy water ecosystems drive economic opportunity, environmental ​protection and social wellbeing.