EIT Community Hub Spain participated in the event, which brought together around 150 representatives of the European innovation ecosystem to foster collaboration across the water, marine and maritime sectors.
On 15 October, Málaga hosted the official launch of EIT Water, the new European Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), established to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and skills development to address major challenges related to water and the marine and maritime sectors in Europe.
The event brought together around 150 representatives from companies, startups, universities, research centres and public authorities across Europe, providing an opportunity to connect expertise, identify shared challenges and lay the foundations for new collaborations.
The programme featured prominent institutional representatives, including Stefan Dobrev, Chair of the EIT Governing Board, and Stefaan Hermans, Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC). Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, also contributed through a video message.
During the event, Mikael Kamp Sørensen, CEO of EIT Water, presented the vision and priorities of this new European community, which aims to connect knowledge, talent and innovation to turn sectoral challenges into new opportunities.
EIT Community Hub Spain’s participation
Laura Ovies Díaz, EIT Community Officer for Spain, attended the launch on behalf of EIT Community Hub Spain, using the opportunity to strengthen connections with stakeholders from the Spanish innovation ecosystem and explore potential areas for collaboration.
Among the contacts established during the event were Guillermo Álvarez Jiménez, EIT National Contact Point in Spain (CDTI), and representatives of INNOVA IRV, the host organisation of EIT Water’s regional hub for the Iberian Peninsula.
Activities began the previous day with an institutional reception at Málaga City Hall, hosted by Mayor Francisco de la Torre and Councillor for Sustainability Penélope Gómez.
Next stop: Iberian EIT Water Forum 2026 in Madrid
The launch in Málaga marks the beginning of a new phase of European collaboration, which will continue in Spain on 17 November with the Innovation Value Chain: Iberian EIT Water Forum 2026 in Madrid.
Organised by INNOVA IRV, the event will bring together stakeholders from Spain and Portugal to share challenges and strategic priorities and foster new innovation collaborations across the water, marine and maritime sectors.
EIT Community Hub Spain will continue working to connect Spanish organisations with the opportunities, networks and resources offered by EIT Water and the wider EIT Community.
