Project description
Circular water solutions for sustainable cities
The EU-funded SOLUCIR project tackles water scarcity and climate challenges by catalysing the large-scale adoption of circular, decentralised water solutions. While centralised systems are ageing and often lack flexibility, decentralisation offers resilience and resource recovery. SOLUCIR bridges these approaches, demonstrating how they can work in synergy. Drawing on 23 operational pilots, the project develops a risk-based decision framework supported by AI as well as the digital twins and circular economy business models. These tools empower utilities and policymakers to design and operate integrated, multi-source water systems. Validated through five large-scale pathfinding studies across Europe and a transferability study in South Africa, SOLUCIR delivers deployed digital platforms, verified policy toolkits and bankable investment schemes that secure sustainable and resilient water services for the future.
Objective
SOLUCIR addresses the need for more widespread uptake and deployment of circular and decentralized water management solutions in the face of expanding urban populations and inadequate infrastructure, particularly in peri-urban areas. The project aims to address key challenges across technical, financial, regulatory, and societal domains that hinder widespread adoption of these solutions, that could offer effective alternatives for, but also resilient upgrades to, existing centralized water systems (where available). The project learns from 23 Inspirational Pilots (IPLs) where novel technologies already exist on the ground and leverages insights and lessons learned to develop 5+1 Pathfinding Studies (PFSs) in collaboration with utilities and local stakeholders to demonstrate the effectiveness, scalability, and benefits of decentralized solutions and directly address barriers for large scale deployment. This process is supported by novel tools and methods for integrating decentralized solutions with centralized systems and by enhancing the operations of decentralised systems through digital innovations. Critical to SOLUCIR is the development of comprehensive risk assessment tools encompassing health, operational, and environmental risks, complemented by targeted policy recommendations and societal interventions. SOLUCIR emphasizes financial sustainability, proposing innovative financial mechanisms and circular business models. The project places a strong focus on capacity building and upskilling at key decision levels (utility, local and regional authorities) and ensures the widespread dissemination of its findings and experiences. To realize its ambitions, SOLUCIR unites a strategic alliance of top universities, advanced research institutions, forward-looking water utilities, and key experts in socioeconomics, business, and innovation, blending cutting-edge knowledge with practical experience to generate tangible impacts.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2024-CIRCBIO-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
157 72 ATHINA
Greece
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.