The quantity and quality of water resources are serious problems in many European areas, mostly being a joined result of climate change and anthropic influences. The BOOST-IN project aims to develop a successful strategy that promotes technological changes, governance schemes, shifts in mind-set and organizational structures in order to solve these problems through a better management of the water sector and application of the circular economy principles, enabling water reuse and recovery of different materials (e.g. energy, nutrients). However, implementation of these changes still faces several barriers (e.g. technology, economy, knowledge, social perception) that need to be overcome. BOOST-IN will achieve these goals by an effective identification, selection (through a specifically designed dynamic funnel method) and transfer of innovative Water Circular Economy Solutions (WACES) to further close and improve the water cycle. The project will develop and apply its approach in six Regions of Opportunity evenly distributed across Europe (Spain, Greece, Germany, France, Italy and Bulgaria) by organization of co-creation workshops to increase public awareness and support for WACES implementation, barriers overcoming as well as by the specific risk management plans design. At the EU level the project will create an active network of stakeholders and set detailed action plans, including different training and education activities targeting water professionals. In order to promote and boost a successful market uptake of circular solutions and maximize the impact, the project will provide expertise on suitable business models and develop standardized quality criteria, as well as facilitate the links between solution providers and potential investors. Moreover, BOOST-IN will upgrade and benefit from the existing Water Europe Marketplace platform that will enable the projects clustering, B2B matchmaking and selections of appropriate WACES solutions for specific user needs.

Reclaimed water has a strong potential for complementing conventional water resources. According to the European Commission communication “Closing the loop - An EU action plan for the Circular Economy” (COM(2015)0614): “in addition to water-efficiency measures, the reuse of treated wastewater in safe and cost-effective conditions is a valuable but under-used means of increasing water supply and alleviating pressure on over-exploited water resources in the EU”. Water reuse is especially relevant in agriculture as this is one of the main water consumers, having additional benefits for farmers: lower cost compared to other solutions (e.g. desalination), reliability of supply regardless of season, climatic conditions and associated water restrictions, and nutrients contribution of the treated wastewater that can supplement or replace conventional fertilizers. Based on the results of a previous EU project called SuWaNu (contract number 319998) whose main result was to set research driven clusters in the field of water reuse in 5 target countries: Malta, Spain, Germany, Greece and Bulgaria, SuWaNu Europe is intended to bridge the current innovation gaps and achieve an effective implementation of reuse solutions in agriculture. SuWaNu Europe will extend the geographical coverage of its predecessor and will summarize, share and present existing and upcoming knowledge and skills in the field of water reuse in agriculture to the relevant stakeholders such as farmers and farming advisory groups. SuWaNu Europe will also create regional working groups for the development of action plans. These action plans will set strategies at regional level with the objective of boosting innovation in the agricultural and water sectors, improving best practice development and identifying the most appropriate channels to reach stakeholders. In addition to this, dissemination and training will create the capacity and competencies needed to implement these results.

Contributing to the CCRI project portfolio, CisWEFE-NEX will demonstrate the implementation of a circular systemic WEFE Nexus, an innovative, fully integrated, & sustainable approach applying the principles of circular economy for closing loops in the key value chains of food, water & nutrients in severely water stressed regions: 1. Water: - A net positive freshwater balance to the water cycle (JRC 2021) will be achieved through combining olive mill wastewater reuse (as a co-product from biophenols extraction) with saltwater desalination at scale without using fossil fuels for use as drinking & irrigation water. - Waste streams from desalination (brine & bitterns) will be repurposed in nature-based solar saltworks as table & Epsom salt, made possible because of zero chemical use in the desalination process. 2. Energy: - Cutting-edge renewable energy technologies will be developed & demonstrated to achieve a net-zero direct fossil GHG emissions process. - Agri-photovoltaics (crops under PV panels) and biogas from advanced (ultrasonic cavitation assisted) anaerobic digestion fed from olive mill & other biowastes. 3. Food: - Innovative nature-based techniques will be demonstrated to enable truly sustainable, healthy, and fresh food & seaweed (containing bioactive compounds for pharma use) production at scale. - Saltwater integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (free of growth hormones, antibiotics, synthetic fertilisers, & preservatives). - Regenerative agriculture (organic permaculture reusing precious water & nutrients) and extractive reuse of biophenols from olive mill waste as bioactive products of very high nutri-pharmaceutical value. 4. Ecosystems: - Monitoring of traditional & emerging (micro)pollutants using cutting-edge analytics will prevent harmful impacts on the environment & food grown from it with predictive alerts & remedies through a mobile controlled cavitation unit providing (waste)water treatment services (advanced oxidation processes, disinfection).