Call for Panel Workshops

Panel Workshops are practice-oriented, generally sponsored sessions designed to create a structured exchange between panelists and the audience. They bring together cities, water utilities, technology providers, institutions, academics and professionals around key challenges for the future of water.

Unlike standard scientific sessions, Panel Workshops are non-academic discussion formats focused on experience sharing, implementation, innovation and dialogue. Each workshop will typically include 4 to 5 invited presentations by representatives of cities, utilities, public institutions, companies, technology providers or international initiatives, followed by a round table discussion involving academics, technical experts, administrators, policymakers and practitioners.

The aim is to create a space where scientific knowledge, operational experience, technological innovation and policy perspectives can meet. Workshops will provide opportunities to present concrete cases, discuss barriers and enabling conditions, compare approaches across different contexts, and identify pathways for action in line with the Congress theme: "Driving Change Management in the Era of Digital Water and Global Transitions."

In addition to workshops proposed and organized by external proponents, the Organizing Committee may also take responsibility for organizing dedicated workshops on topics of strategic relevance. In this case, the Committee may invite and involve cities, water utilities, technology providers, institutions and other stakeholders that have expressed interest in a topic without wishing to take direct responsibility for organizing the workshop.

The workshops will complement the scientific sessions of the Congress by strengthening the connection between research, practice, governance and implementation. They will also offer cities, utilities, institutions and industry stakeholders a dedicated platform to contribute to the Road to Bari framework, showcase successful initiatives, and build strategic partnerships for resilient, sustainable and digitally enabled water systems.

Indicative workshop themes

Urban water resilience and climate adaptation in cities
Sponge-city strategies, nature-based solutions and blue-green infrastructure
Water reuse, circular water management and resource recovery
Digital transformation of water utilities and smart water systems
Digital twins, artificial intelligence, big data and decision-support tools
Monitoring, sensors, data platforms and real-time water management
Drought management, water scarcity and long-term resource planning
Flood risk management and urban drainage innovation
Governance models for integrated urban water management
Collaboration between cities, utilities, regulators and research institutions
Innovation procurement and public-private partnerships in the water sector
Resilient infrastructure planning, asset management and investment strategies
Coastal cities, sea-level rise and adaptation of waterfront areas
Water-energy-food-nature nexus in urban and regional planning
Capacity building, stakeholder engagement and change management in the water sector

Invited presentations

Each workshop is expected to include invited contributions from cities, utilities, institutions, companies, technology providers or international initiatives.

Panel-audience dialogue

Presentations should support a structured comparison among panelists and an active discussion with the audience.

Practical outcomes

Workshops should encourage shared recommendations, implementation roadmaps, follow-up initiatives or collaborative projects emerging from the Congress.