B-WaterSmart Policy Brief - Fostering Water-Smart Technologies

Transitioning to a circular water economy—characterized by the efficient, effective, equitable, and safe circular use of water and related resources—presents a promising solution to the pressing issues of water scarcity and pollution. The transition to water-smart societies requires amongst other things the deployment of largescale infrastructure, encompassing extensive systems, facilities and technologies designed to support the sustainable management of water resources and the recovery of valuable by-products.

This policy brief argues the critical need to accelerate the adoption of a circular water economy by creating an enabling environment for the deployment and operation of large-scale infrastructure. Drawing on insights from two Living Labs (LLs) from the B-WaterSmart EU Horizon 2020 project, East Frisia and Flanders, the document highlights both challenges and enablers and offers targeted recommendations for the EU Commission to foster innovation, investment, and collaboration. By driving forward an enabling environment, these efforts aim to facilitate the widespread implementation of circular water infrastructure on a large scale, thereby boosting water resilience in Europe.