DESSIN - Demonstrate Ecosystem Services Enabling Innovation in the Water Sector

A central task of the European Union and its member states is the securing of European water resources and ensuring their continual improvement, which furthermore includes the reduction of water scarcity and the improvement of water quality. If the goals jointly formulated according to the EU Water Framework Directive are to be successfully met, cost-efficient solutions need to be identified and promoted. A 4-year project under the auspices of the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7) will therefore look at identifying and promoting relevant and innovative solutions in this area. The geographic focus will be on cities and urban areas.

These innovations include technologies, models, as well as management and monitoring strategies. Additionally, an evaluation framework will be developed and implemented in order to better integrate ecosystem services into the development and analysis of solutions. The quantification of ecosystem services is a prerequisite for the market viability of innovative solutions. This evaluation framework will therefore accelerate the drive towards innovation in this sector.

The innovations as well as the evaluation system will be tested in five regions in Germany, Greece, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands. In these regions, private and public organisations that are active in the field of water management were brought into dialogue with consultancy firms, developers and producers of new technologies (especially small and medium-sized enterprises).

As part of this project, adelphi contributed towards securing market access for innovative water technologies and systems, and promoting the evaluation framework for ecosystem services. This should extend the market penetration and maximise the market presence of these innovative solutions and further stimulate demand by creating a better understanding of the impact of these innovations.