European and Mediterranean nature-based, digital and cyber-physical initiatives projects to innovate water management - Session 1

Innovative case studies selected from Call for Papers

Water is a critical resource facing increasing pressure due to climate change, urbanization, and growing demands from agriculture and industry. To address these challenges, Europe and the Mediterranean region have been pioneering digital and cyber-physical initiatives to modernize water management. These projects leverage cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and digital twins to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and resilience in water systems, which is upgraded by nature-based solutions.

This workshop explores key European and Mediterranean initiatives that integrate nature based, digital and/or cyber-physical solutions to improve water management. It highlights innovative projects, their technological approaches, and their impact on water conservation, quality monitoring, distribution networks, treatment systems and circularity. By fostering collaboration between governments, research institutions, and industry, these initiatives are driving a digital and physical transformation in water management, ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience in the face of global water challenges.

Session Chairs (morning and afternoon)

Francesco Fatone, Ecomondo STC
Sergio Ponsà Salas, Ecomondo STC
Andrea Rubini, Ecomondo STC and Water Europe
Daniele Barbone, Utilitalia

Program

9.45-10.00 Introduction by the Chairs

10.00-10-12 Smart Water Leak Detection: predictive technologies for the sustainable and intelligent management of water networks in AQP
Franco Dalbosco – Giovanni Dalbosco

10.12-10.24 Piattaforma integrata data-driven per il monitoraggio e controllo delle perdite idriche: manutenzione predittiva e priorità di intervento nelle reti acquedottistiche
Alessandro Bettin, Engineering Manager, Almaviva Bluebit SpA, IWA Intermittent Water Supply specialist group management committee
Ernesto Lastres, Amministratore Delegato, Sistemi Territoriali Srl

10.24-10.36 Innovazioni e sistemi cyberfisici per il servizio idrico integrato
AQUANEXA

10.36-10.48 Predictive Water Infrastructure Management through Machine Learning and GIS: The Gruppo CAP Project
Francesca Mastromarino, Cecilia Paris, Gloria Salinetti – CAP Holding Spa

10.48-11.00 Digitalizzazione integrata per l'efficienza della rete idrica: l’esperienza Xylem Vue con Publiacqua
Marcello Di Vincenzo, Head of Business Development and Partnerships – Xylem Italia
Claudia La Verghetta, Client Solutions Architect – Xylem Italia

11.00-11.12 Harnessing Digital Twin Technology for reducing N₂O Emissions & Optimized Wastewater Treatment
Massimo Amerio & Matt Gray – Aquatic Informatics

11.12-11.24 PRIN "N4En" – Integrating innovative N-removing biofilm processes and excess sludge valorization technologies for the development of energy- and material-efficient wastewater treatment plants
Tommaso Lotti, Università degli Studi di Firenze
Matteo Ramazzotti, Università degli Studi di Firenze
Annalaura Eusebi, Università Politecnica delle Marche
Stefano Papirio, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

11.24-11.36 Urban M2O – Soluzioni efficaci di monitoraggio e modellazione per una gestione olistica e basata sui dati della qualità dell’acqua urbana
Alessia Danese, Carlo Pesce, Raffaele Marciano – Piave Servizi SpA

11.36-11.48 The DISCOV.ER digital twin: water management to preserve biodiversity in the Po Delta
Gianni Tumedei, University of Bologna
Elio Amadori, RomagnaTech
Catia Prandi, University of Bologna

11.48-12.00 You Can Only Control What You Measure: Effective Online Monitoring of Biological and Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD & COD) in Wastewater Treatment Process
Robert Menegotto, Founder & CEO, MANTECH

12.00-12.12 Implementation of an innovative approach to achieve the objectives of environmental protection and quality of the urban drainage system through the application of the principle of hydraulic invariance
Chiara Cosco – Alfa Srl

12.12-12.24 A Digital Twin Approach to Enhancing Water Infrastructure Management: The Case of Consorzio di Bonifica 3 Medio Valdarno
Ing. Elisabetta Giusti, PhD – Consorzio di Bonifica 3 Medio Valdarno

12.24-12.36 Digitalization and cyber-phisical systems in the EU funded PRIMA SURE-NEXUS project
Niccolo Ciuccoli, Maria Grazia Chieti and Virginia Barros, Università Politecnica delle Marche

12.36-12.48 Toward efficient storm surge forecasting: bridging machine learning and dynamical modeling approaches
Rodrigo Campos-Caba (1,2), Jacopo Alessandri (1,2), Paula Camus (3), Andrea Mazzino (4,5), Francesco Ferrari (4,5), Ivan Federico (6), Michalis Vousdoukas (7), Massimo Tondello (8), Giovanni Coppini (6), and Lorenzo Mentaschi (1,2,6) - 1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna 2. Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna 3. Departamento de Ciencias y Técnicas del Agua y del Medio Ambiente, University of Cantabria 4. Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa 5. Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova 6. CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Lecce 7.- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Mitilene, Greece, 8. HS Marine Srl

13.00-13.15 Summary of the digital posters

Poster Session

Sviluppo e Certificazione di un Sistema di Gestione della Qualità ISO 9001 per il Blantyre Water Board (Malawi)
Nicola Bertolini, Business Development Manager di ambiente

Remote Sensing-Based Water Quality Monitoring as a Cyber-Physical Innovation for Climate-Resilient Water Management
Dr. Christoph Deller, EOMAPGmbH & Co. KG, a Fugro Company

Water Stewardship: leveraging disclosure for enhanced risk management and continuous corporate improvements according to the CSRD
Daniela Casses Franceschi (a), Francesca Casale (b), Emiliano Micalizio (b), Domenico Fracchiolla (b), Giada Restuccia (b), Roberta Salvetti (b) - (a) Bolton (b) Ramboll

Policy Implications of Citizen Science towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): the example of CITYBLE
Asia Guerreschi 1, 2 and Davide Antonioli 1, 2 | 1 Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara - 2 SEEDS, Department of Economics and Management, University of Ferrara

Acqua, Terra, Aria: l'approccio integrato all'efficienza energetica
Cefla sc (TBD)

Integrating Wave Dynamics and Dune Stability in Coastal Flood Models: A Step Toward Digital Twin Systems
Italo dos Reis Lopes1,2, Lorenzo Mentaschi1,2, Ivan Federico2, Salvatore Causio2, Michalis Vousdoukas3, Luisa Perini4, Giovanni Coppini2, Nadia Pinardi1,2 - 1 Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi" (DIFA), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna (Italia)
2 Centro euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), 3 European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 4 Servizio Geologico, Sismico e dei Suoli, Regione Emilia-Romagna

Optimization for AOP in drinking water for maximum micropollutant removal and minimal bromate formation, using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation and chemical kinetics as optimization and validation tool
J. Ianes1, G. Bellandi1, L. Verdickt2, P. Cauwenberg2, P. Vlasschaert1, R. Muoio1, U. Rehman1, Wim Audenaert1 - 1 AM-Team, Advanced Modelling for Process Optimisation, Dendermondsesteenweg 48/1 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Caratterizzazione dei corpi idrici sotterranei sottesi all'area del massiccio Campo dei Fiori
Bordonaro Sara, Tixi Luciana

PAR-TY-CO (Particle Technology Cooperation): Development of an online platform for institutions dealing with particle-based systems
Sascha Gell, Martin Pillei, Barbara Messner, Thomas Senfter (MCI, Innsbruck, Austria), Christian Ebner (University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria), Andreas Gronauer (Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy)

Exploring a sustainable solid transport management strategy at local level
Leonardo Mita 1,2, Andrea Doria 2, Francesco Godano 2 and Gennaro Ranieri 2,3
1 Università degli studi della Basilicata, Dipartimento per l'Innovazione Umanistica, Scientifica e Sociale (DiUSS), Matera, Italy 
2 Commissario di Governo per il contrasto del dissesto idrogeologico nella regione Puglia, Bari (Italy)
3 Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica (DICATECh), Politecnico di Bari (Italy)