What is the main focus of your Expert Group?
The Expert Group (EG) on Digital Water Systems Management drives the implementation of cutting-edge digital solutions in water management to enhance operational optimization and improve stakeholder decision-making. Focusing on data analytics, advanced modeling, and intelligent decision support systems, the EG aims to accelerate research and innovation in digital water technologies. The EG fosters the integration of digital platforms, promotes standardized methodologies, and ensures system interoperability to create a more connected and efficient water management ecosystem.
What are the opportunities and challenges in your field that the Expert group is addressing?
The EG primarily concentrates on two transformative technologies: integrated Digital Twins and interoperable smart water Data Spaces. Digital Twins serve as a foundational technology in modern water management, offering comprehensive capabilities including real-time system monitoring, advanced operational optimization, and data-driven decision support. They facilitate integration of diverse data sources and sensor networks while enabling risk-free scenario testing and simulation for enhanced system performance. Complementing this, smart water Data Spaces are driving the digital evolution by establishing secure, sovereign environments for data exchange among water utilities and stakeholders. These platforms foster standardization through common data models and interoperability protocols, enabling cross-sector collaboration with domains such as energy, agriculture, and urban planning. Data Spaces also ensure robust data control and reliability standards, creating a trusted ecosystem for data-driven innovation in the water sector. Together, these technologies form a powerful framework for advancing digital water management systems and services.
How does your Expert Group plan to achieve its goals, and how will it contribute to Water Europe’s Vision of a Water-Smart Society?
The EG counts on 15 accomplished professionals and a senior supervisor, each bringing extensive expertise in procurement, scientific papers, definition and/or implementation of case study, pilot, or demonstrator; as well as EU proposal development. All members have demonstrated experience in Digital Twins and/or Data Spaces initiatives, from conceptualization through deployment.
Under the guidance of the EG leader and co-leaders, the group will conduct monthly virtual meetings with the aim of documenting case studies and developing technical specifications for smart water management system procurement. Additionally, the team will produce a policy brief and a research paper on integrated decision support systems for smart water management.
These results (case studies, technical specifications, policy brief, and research paper) will be made available to Water Europe and its membership. They will be also potentially disseminated through established networks including BDVA and FIWARE, maximizing cross fertilization and impact across the sector. The group actively seeks synergies with other EGs, particularly the Digital Water Technologies EG.
The initiative strongly supports the Water Sustainability objective within the Water-Smart Society model, promoting economically and environmentally sustainable water infrastructure, management, and utilization practices.
