The kick off meeting of the European WatEnerWine project takes place

Last June 20 and 21, the Kick Off Meeting of the European project “Water and energy in the wine sector: transition towards a sustainable, efficient and resilient industry”, known by the acronym WatEnerWine, was held in Vilafranca del Penedès . The members of the consortium belong to the three main wine regions in Europe: Catalonia, Italy and France. The Catalan wine cluster, INNOVI, acts as coordinator, with the collaboration of the Eurecat technology center, Clust-er Agrifood, Vinidea, Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, INNO’VIN and the Catalan Water Partnership.

The main objective of WatEnerWine is to develop a European initiative to improve efficiency in the use of water and energy, encouraging the use of renewable energy sources in the wine industry. Planned activities include:

1. Creation of a network of contacts: The aim is to work collaboratively (clusters, business support organizations – BSOs, research centers and SMEs) to improve the sustainability and competitiveness of European SMEs, developing an agenda common strategy for the next 10 years and collaborating with existing initiatives.
2. Improving the structures and capacities of clusters and other support organizations for European companies: The Green Transition Centers and Advisors will be created to support SMEs in their transition towards sustainability.
3. Improving the efficiency and management of water and energy in wineries: The adoption of new technologies will be promoted to promote sustainability in the sector through thematic work groups.
4. Creation of knowledge transfer resources: Including a best practices guide or other Innovation catalogs.
5. Involve organizations in sustainable initiatives at European level: Events and dissemination activities will be carried out to promote sustainability in the wine industry.

During the opening meeting, consortium members introduced themselves and discussed two of the project’s work packages. On the second day, the rest of the work packages were presented and the schedule of future meetings and project activities was planned.

In summary, these two days of meeting have been fundamental for the consortium, as they have allowed the project’s objectives to be shared, the basis for its follow-up to be established and the next meetings to be planned. WatEnerWine is positioned as a key initiative to foster a more sustainable value chain in the European wine industry.