WE@EU is based on the ambition to create an open European platform for EU excellence in water efficiency in urban water management. This European platform will enable the participating clusters and regions to bring together knowledge and innovation potential by collaborating and mutually learning in a trans-national basis. This will enable to generate an innovation friendly ecosystem where academia and business will work together, in coordination with regional authorities and other stakeholders, transforming knowledge into innovative products, services and skills in the water efficiency sector. This partnership will thus enable to strength regional capacities, which can unlock business opportunities among the participating region and stimulate investments in R&D&I. The regional research-driven clusters and regions will share and exchange their ‘best practices’ by learning from their respective regional research agendas. This will enable to develop a true knowledge-driven partnership which will contribute to overcome the fragmentation of the knowledge economy in Europe and beyond towards the enlargement and consolidation of the European Research Area. Moreover, the eco-innovative approach of WE@EU not only enables to boost innovation as a measure to increase competitiveness, generate new skills and reduce pressures on the environment, but also contributes to the implementation of “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe”.
The achievement of the WE@EU’s overall goal will be driven by a number of specific objectives:

1. Fostering high-level trans-national cooperation and integration between research-driven clusters as well as mutual learning between regional actors.
2. Improving links and integration between regional authorities, legal entities conducting research and the regional business community.
3. Developing and implementing joint action plans at the European level to increase regional economic competitiveness.
4. Supporting the internationalization of the regional research-driven clusters.
5. Disseminating knowledge and raising public awareness.
6. Mentoring regions with a less developed research profile.