[Mateja Branica]

The town of Vodice is a tourist centre famous for its lively and various tourist offer and rural hinterland, characterized by its rich agricultural landscape, it plays a crucial role in the region’s economy and sustainability. It is a coastal town located in a wide bay, 11 km northwest from the town of Šibenik, the centre of Šibenik-knin County. The town of Vodice numbers 10,000 inhabitants.
The name Vodice is intimately linked to water. The town developed on a dense network of underground waters, and until 1960, there were up to 500 springs in Vodice, where people came to collect drinking water and wash clothes. Groundwater in Vodice, located in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, is crucial for drinking water supply and ecosystem maintenance. The area is characterized by limestone and dolomite layers, which are permeable and allow rainwater to infiltrate the underground. The main aquifers are in these limestones and dolomites, with water typically of high quality due to natural filtration through the karst terrain. In Croatia, groundwater is used not only for drinking and public water supply but also for irrigation, livestock needs, and in the case of geothermal sources, for electricity generation and heating in the industry.

Unfortunately, we have never conducted a thorough inventory and exploration of our underground resources. Therefore, with this project, we aim to conduct a study related to irrigation in agriculture. This study would enable us to exploit our underground wealth sustainably and integrate it into a circular economy, thereby revitalizing rural areas that lack sufficient water due to extreme heat waves.
We are looking for partners to develop this project. This project aims to identify sources of water in the Vodice area and develop sustainable methods for their exploitation.

The primary objectives include:
• Water Source Discovery:
Utilize advanced hydrogeological techniques and remote sensing technology to map and identify potential new sources of high-quality drinking water.
Conduct geological surveys, drill test wells, and analyze water samples to determine purity and viability.

• Sustainable Exploitation:
Implement sustainable extraction methods to ensure long-term water supply without depleting aquifers.
Develop modern well systems with efficient pumping and filtration technologies to minimize environmental impact.

• Irrigation for Agriculture:
Explore the use of newly discovered water sources for irrigation, especially during dry periods.
Focus on efficient irrigation techniques like drip and sprinkler systems to optimize water use in agriculture.

• Knowledge Transfer and Research:
Collaborate with institutions. Work with the Institute to establish a hydrological network, enhancing data collection and analysis.
Conduct regular hydrogeological studies to understand groundwater dynamics and guide sustainable usage plans.

Conclusion
Protecting and preserving groundwater requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, including local authorities, businesses, and citizens. Continuous monitoring, strict regulations, and the implementation of sustainable practices are vital for conserving this essential resource. The proposed project aims to secure a reliable water supply and support the region’s ecological and economic well-being by discovering and sustainably exploiting new water sources and improving irrigation practices.

[Gabriela Popova]

I am writing to you on behalf of BATTI (Bulgarian Association for Transfer of Technology and Innovation). We are interested in your project. We are the largest association in Bulgaria, focusing on the transfer of technology and innovation. BATTI’s experts have been involved in more than 60 regional and international projects as a Lead organization and partner funded under Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, COSME, Bulgaria-Romania Cross Border Cooperation Programme, Bulgaria-Greece Cross Border Cooperation Programme, Black Sea Joint Operational Programme, Southeast Europe-Transnational Cooperation programme and different Operational programs in Bulgaria. The team of the association has extensive and varied in-depth experience in the preparation, implementation, monitoring, reporting and dissemination of results of projects, both as a leader and a partner organization.
BATTI may provide established contacts, networks, resources and experience necessary to more than 400 stakeholders in Bulgaria and the region from the public sector, NGOs, SMEs, universities, companies, etc; bringing together actors and stakeholders to facilitate learning, exchange of experience, culturally and economically to further develop existing and create new creative industries within the region and beyond.
Our project portfolio consists of a broad range of international projects, such as: Increasing the Conformance of Academia towards Rehabilitation Engineering (i-Care), Development of Entrepreneurship in the Black Sea Basin (TREASURE), Black Sea Joint Environmental Monitoring and Protection (ALERT), Vocational Education and Training on Product Environmental Management for the Footwear and Textile Sector (EcoTextyle), etc. Further participation in the said project will complement the whole cycle of our services, add value to our mission and main activities, will creatively mobilize our resources and further the existing partnerships of BATTI, stimulating the creation of new links. A valuable output for BATTI is the opportunity to expand its internationalization and profit from the challenges of a broader partnership.
We would also love to learn more about your idea. If you wish to know more, you can visit our website (batti.eu) or send us an email (battinnovation@gmail.com). We will be looking forward to your reply and hopefully working together soon!

[Todorka Atanasova]

Dear Mateja Branica,

We are writing you on behalf of Varna Economic Development Agency (VEDA-www.veda-bg.eu) – a non-for-profit association, located on the Black Sea coast in Varna (Bulgaria) with experience in projects funded under Interreg Programs Euro-MED, Danube, and Black Sea Basin as well as under the EMFAF and Erasmus+ Programs.

As a part of the consortia we were involved as a pilot partner and Carbon Footprint Coordinator (for IDRON project) in the implementation of the following three projects funded under Euro-MED in the last 3 years:
* Re-Act Schools Test project (Thematic Project), Specific Objective RSO2.4 Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system-based approaches. Project mission: Promoting green living areas
* IDRON Strategic territorial project (Thematic Project), Specific Objective RSO1.1: Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies, Project mission: Strengthening an innovative sustainable economy
* TOURISMO Test project (Thematic Project), Specific Objective RSO1.1: Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies.

Our expertise includes conduction a variety of research and analyses, development of educational materials and training, promotion and C&D materials, organization of different types of events, etc.

We are interested to join the consortium with reference to your project idea for waters source discovery, irrigation in agriculture and other proposed topics as far as currently VEDA is involved in Euro-MED IDRON project – Innovative Dual sustainable solutions for Rural water scarcity and use OptimizatioN (https://idron.interreg-euro-med.eu/ ) Under the IDRON pilot activity “Optimizing Irrigation Plans Using Drone Data ” we will use of UAV technology (drone) to collect soil-moisture and vegetation data to support efficient irrigation planning as well as to search for new water sources in NATURE200 protected areas near Varna.

We would be glad to contribute with our experience as a partner to your project, to be submitted under the Interreg Euro-MED Call 8.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Todorka Atanasova.

[Stefano Oricchio]

Dear Mateja,

we are contacting you on behalf of PSR & Innovazione Veneto Srl, an Italian agricultural advisory and innovation organisation based in the Veneto Region and operating within the Coldiretti Veneto network.

We are very interested in your project idea on discovering and sustainably exploiting water resources for agriculture and we would like to explore the possibility of joining the consortium as the Italian partner responsible for an agricultural pilot and for the involvement of farmers and agricultural advisors.

PSR & Innovazione Veneto is an accredited agricultural advisory organisation with extensive experience in EU and regional funded innovation projects, Operational Groups, AKIS activities, agricultural advisory services and demonstration actions.

We are currently coordinating AQUA, an Operational Group focused on the efficient use of water resources in viticulture, involving agricultural farms and technical and scientific partners in the Veneto Region. We are also involved in innovation projects concerning climate resilience, soil management, digital agriculture, drones, biodiversity and sustainable viticulture.

Within your proposal, we could contribute by developing a concrete Italian pilot focused on the agricultural use and efficient management of water resources.

Our role could include the identification and involvement of farms and pilot areas, assessment of agricultural water needs, testing and validation of efficient irrigation practices, collection of field data, involvement of agricultural advisors, interaction with farmers and local stakeholders, evaluation of practical and economic applicability of the proposed solutions and transfer of results through the regional AKIS and agricultural advisory network.

Veneto could also provide an interesting Mediterranean case study because agriculture is increasingly affected by periods of drought, high temperatures and competition for water resources. Viticulture and other high-value crops could provide suitable pilot environments for testing solutions aimed at improving water-use efficiency and climate resilience.

Depending on the final project architecture, we could also explore the involvement of scientific institutions and organisations dealing with irrigation and water management with which we already cooperate in our innovation activities.

We are therefore interested not only in supporting dissemination activities but in joining the project as a funded project partner with a defined technical role, pilot activities and its own project budget.

We believe that a Croatian pilot focused on groundwater resources and an Italian pilot focused on agricultural use, irrigation efficiency and uptake by farmers could provide useful complementary territorial cases and strengthen the transnational dimension of the proposal.

We would be pleased to discuss the current status of the consortium, the partners already involved, the specific objective selected under Interreg Euro-MED Call 8 and the activities that are currently being developed.

If you consider our profile relevant, we would be available for a short online meeting to explore our possible participation and define the contribution of the Veneto agricultural pilot.

Best regards,

Stefano Oricchio

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