On 12 November, ICRA researcher Jelena Radjenovic took part in the event “From Science to Policy: Shaping a Sustainable and Competitive Europe”, organised by the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) of the European Parliament and the European Research Council (ERC).

Jelena Radjenovic participated as a speaker in a session dedicated to water resilience, together with other experts, to discuss how scientific innovation can help secure water for the planet, nature and people in a context of climate change and increasing pressure on water resources.

During her presentation, she introduced several research lines developed within the framework of her ERC grant, focused on key challenges in the water sector. Among these, she highlighted the removal of persistent contaminants such as PFAS from drinking water and the recovery of high-value metals from industrial wastewater.

Beyond technological advances, the researcher also shared a strategic vision of the future of the water sector and of the policies needed to accelerate the transition. In this regard, she emphasised the importance of identifying and prioritising technologies that make sense from an energy and economic perspective, as well as of promoting innovation hubs across different regions of Europe to facilitate knowledge transfer between research, industry and public administrations. She also shared her views on hybrid water management models, combining centralised and decentralised systems, tailored to the specific needs of each territory.

The session can be watched here: From Science to Policy: Shaping a Sustainable and Competitive Europe | ERC