EIT AllWaters – a new wave for Europe’s water future
Europe faces a crucial decade for water and the blue economy, with EIT AllWaters leading the way. As the chosen consortium for EIT Water, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s tenth Knowledge and Innovation Community, AllWaters aims to protect water resilience, promote breakthrough innovation, and view waters as drivers of sustainable growth. For K2 Solutions, partnering in this community means helping Europe tackle its key water challenges.
EIT Water – driving solutions for Europe’s water future
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology launched EIT Water, a new community focused on water, marine, and maritime ecosystems. After a competitive call in January 2025 and expert evaluation, the EIT Governing Board selected the AllWaters consortium in November 2025 to address water scarcity, droughts, floods, and ecosystem degradation. EIT Water will provide entrepreneurial education, foster startups, and support innovation-driven research, connecting education, research, and business to boost the blue and circular economy. It aligns with EU partnerships and missions, adopting an integrated approach across inland waters, coasts, and oceans, highlighting the interconnection of our water systems.
A pan-European community with local roots
EIT Water will unite 50 European partners, including universities, research groups, companies, ports, clusters, NGOs, and authorities, creating a vibrant community for ideas, talent, and investment. It will establish eight Co-Location Centres in Aarhus, Leeds, Berlin, Antwerp, Vienna, Šibenik, Málaga, and Varna, providing regional gateways into a Europe-wide network for innovators, students, and entrepreneurs. This structure allows startups working on nature-based flood protection or smart port solutions to access support across regions and the entire EIT ecosystem, sharing testbeds, markets, and expertise. For coastal and maritime areas like where K2 Solutions operates, this offers a platform to turn local knowledge into solutions with European reach.
Ambition backed by long-term investment
EIT Water’s scope is shown in its financial and impact goals. It will receive up to €5 million in startup funding through 2026 to establish governance, operations, and a business plan, with full operations launching in 2027 under EIT’s support. Funding will decrease as EIT Water attracts more investment and nears financial sustainability, a model already proven by other EIT Communities in climate, energy, health, and urban mobility. By 2033, EIT Water aims to see hundreds of innovations marketed, dozens of startups created, and over a thousand startups and scale-ups supported, while preventing economic losses from ecosystem degradation through smarter water solutions.
K2 Solutions – proud to be part of something big
K2 Solutions values its partnership in AllWaters as both recognition of expertise and a chance to shape a European water and maritime response. Our focus on maritime economy, water transport, and environmental protection aligns with EIT Water’s goal to connect science, industry, and regions around a blue-economy vision. Through AllWaters, we co-create solutions for ports, coasts, and inland waterways, support startups and researchers, and promote innovation in Baltic and European maritime regions. We are proud to contribute our knowledge and energy to this initiative, helping ensure Europe’s water future is resilient, innovative, and sustainable.
