UrbanM2O Introduced at the ZeroPollution4Water Cluster Annual Event in Brussels

On December 4, 2025, the UrbanM2O project proudly participated in the ZeroPollution4Water Cluster (ZP4WC) Event, held during Water Knowledge Europe 2025 – Winter Edition in Brussels. The session, titled “Towards a Water Pollution-Free Europe: Building Synergies, Expanding Collaboration, and Strengthening the Cluster’s Impact,” gathered leading European research and innovation initiatives committed to safeguarding Europe’s waters from pollution.

UrbanM2O is among the eight newly welcomed projects joining the ZP4WC, which now brings together a total of 15 EU-funded projects working in alignment with the European Green Deal, the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan, and the EU Water Resilience Strategy. As a collaborative platform, the Cluster fosters strong links between research, innovation, practitioners, and policy, driving actionable solutions to tackle water pollution across multiple scales.

During the event, Project Coordinator Luca Vezzaro from DTU – Technical University of Denmark represented UrbanM2O, presenting the project’s mission and its innovative approach to improving urban water management. In his intervention, Luca introduced UrbanM2O’s vision to enhance monitoring, modelling, and mitigation of pollution in dynamic urban environments—showcasing how the project will contribute to the Cluster’s shared objectives. He highlighted UrbanM2O’s commitment to advancing integrated data solutions, supporting decision-making processes, and reducing pollution pressures in cities facing growing climate and demographic challenges.

By bringing together projects focused on pollution prevention, detection, monitoring, treatment, digitalisation, and governance, the ZP4WC strengthens cross-project collaboration and generates evidence-based insights to support EU policymaking. The Cluster’s work directly contributes to the goals of the EU Water Framework Directive and the Union’s long-term resilience strategy.

The 2025 Cluster Event marked an important milestone as the community expanded with new members, reviewed the leadership and structure of the Working Groups, and co-developed a forward-looking roadmap for strengthening collaboration across projects. The event featured strategic discussions with representatives from the European Commission (REA, DG RTD, DG ENV), reconfirming the Cluster’s growing role in Europe’s water research landscape.

The meeting concluded with dynamic breakout sessions, enabling projects to exchange knowledge, align priorities, and explore joint actions to maximise impact. These collaborative discussions paved the way for strengthened partnerships and co-creation of solutions to address Europe’s most urgent water pollution challenges.