Cluster CREA Hydro & Energy is a long-acting cluster working in the branch of technologies for water works, water and waste treatment a renewable energy sources. Members of the cluster collectively participate on research, product innovations and development, promotion of the branch, presentations and realizations of projects in Czech Republic and in other countries.

Cluster is currently focusing mainly on two water management projects, the iWATERMAP project and the pilot PoVE WATER project.

The iWATERMAP project from the INTERREG Europe program is currently finishing the 4th semester. Partners from the Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Greece and the Czech Republic are participating in developing the innovation policies to increase critical levels of innovation ecosystem in the water technology sector. On behalf of the Czech Republic, the project is solved within the cooperation of the CREA cluster, Mendel University in Brno and the South Moravian Region.The project defines the water management sector as a target area. The importance of the sector lies in its ability to help meet the societal challenges associated with water resource management - water scarcity, efficiency, usage in other industries, recovery from wastewater treatment, etc. The industry has significant potential to generate innovative products and services that can be exported, and thus also contribute to creating growth and jobs in the region.The first tangible results were achieved within the project, namely the development of 3 versions of the Roadmaps for the areas of human resources, internationalization and development of critical mass. Regarding the roadmaps, the 1st draft of the Action Plan has currently been completed, which specifies and sets individual objectives for the region of the South Moravian Region. The partial documents of the project include the regional self-assessment for the South Moravian Region, mapping and evaluating main challenges and goals for regional innovation strategies and identifying topics for subsequent solutions within the regional policy.One of the initiatives of the iWATERMAP project was the creation of a pilot project Platform of Vocational Excellence WATER (PoVE WATER). PoVE WATER is a transnational project from the ERASMUS + program, which draws on the existing and emerging needs of professional competences in the field of water management. The aim of the project is to create the infrastructure necessary for integration into the professional excellence of the water management sector in Europe. The project involves partners from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Latvia, Malta and the Czech Republic. The aim of the project is to create regional centers of professional excellence, the so-called VODA, connected to a platform bringing an european dimension to water management. The project partners seek to identify current and emerging labor market needs, promote synergies and cooperation in the field of water, ensure a working approach, knowledge and skills for current and future professionals, and steer vocational training to the forefront of research and technological development in the water sector. The project is currently completing the 1st stage, focused on scanning and identifying the current state and needs of the water sector in the regions. For the Czech Republic, the project partners are the cluster CREA and Mendel University in Brno.

The iWATERMAP project resulted also in the accession to the Water Smart Territories (WST) platform. WST is a relatively new pan-European platform based on mutual cooperation between regions in order to identify opportunities for future international scientific, innovation and trade cooperation in the field of water management. The aim of the platform is to implement specific projects with other EU regions. The CREA cluster has been selected as a leader for sludge issue and is currently actively cooperating to create a new project in this field. 

More information about cluster activities avaible on http://www.creacz.com.

More information about iWATERMAP project avaible on https://www.interregeurope.eu/iwatermap.