3.3 Promoting Competitiveness in the Water Industry
Innovative technologies are required by the water industry to develop products and services
fuelling the European economy. The world water market has an estimated size of €234,000m,
and Europe is currently leading it with a combination of large multinational companies and tech-
nology-rich SMEs
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. According to the Strategic Research Agenda of the Water Supply and San-
itation Technology Platform (WssTP),
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the European water sector has an annual turnover of
€72,000m, sustains 600,000 jobs, manages a network of 5.7m km, and operates 70,000
wastewater plants.
The Water JPI is committed to prioritising and funding problem-solving research leading to the
development of market-oriented solutions. Cooperation with stakeholders will be sought at all
levels to ensure that research results are swiftly transformed into business opportunities. In-
novation will be particularly promoted in this theme, taking advantage of the capacities and
know-how of specialised innovation agencies partnering in the Water JPI. Activities will focus
on aspects such as new materials and processes, management tools, ICT and energy efficiency.
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