[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 2 months, 2 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

[Eva Canevarolo]

Dear Mateja,
I am writing on behalf of UniSMART, the Foundation of the University of Padua. UniSMART works in technology transfer, business development, science communication and dissemination and EU project management.
Over the past 20 years, we have contributed to and managed EU-funded projects under programmes including Horizon, Interreg, EIC and Erasmus+. Our roles have included technology transfer, business acceleration, project coordination, and communication and dissemination. Our experience spans several relevant fields, including innovative agriculture, agri-food start-ups and the circular economy applied in various sectors. Indeed, we have coordinated CDE activities across different WPs in previous projects, not only by designing and producing communication materials, but also investigating how results can be transferred into new contexts by the development of new businesses and exploitation plans adapted to the territorial characteristics.
We would be interested in joining your project as a partner. In particular, we could support communication and dissemination, stakeholder engagement and the development of sustainability and exploitation pathways to help translate the project’s results into practical benefits for local authorities, farmers and other relevant stakeholders. We see strong potential to promote the project’s approach to sustainable groundwater use and efficient irrigation across the region.
We would be pleased to learn more about the proposal, the funding call and the partnership you are building, and to discuss how UniSMART could contribute.
Kind regards,
Contact via email: progettazione.eu@unismart.it
Contact via phone: +39 3667763396 Eva Canevarolo

[Julia Chernetsky]

Dear Ms Branica,

Boreal Light (Berlin) produces solar water treatment units that produce irrigation water from brackish, saline or degraded water sources, with no fossil energy and real-time remote monitoring.

We would be glad to join as technology and pilot partner.

Julia Chernetsky
CBDO
Boreal Light GmbH
chernetska@winture.de

[Anastasiya Padura]

Dear Mateja,

We are contacting you on behalf of SICI Dominus, a Spanish consultancy specialising in European projects and EU funding programmes.
Since 1995, we have supported numerous Spanish municipalities and provincial authorities (Diputaciones), as well as universities and public and private foundations, in the preparation and implementation of transnational EU-funded projects.

We would therefore be interested in exploring potential opportunities for cooperation within the Interreg Euro-MED 8th call with you, SICI Dominus and some of the Spanish public entities with which we work, including the municipalities of Atarfe and Roquetas de Mar, both located in Andalusia (Spain).

We would be pleased to arrange a short online meeting to learn more about your project concept and discuss how our clients could potentially contribute to the partnership and planned activities.

If you consider that there may be scope for collaboration, please contact me at a.padura@sicidominus.com

Thank you very much in advance.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,
Anastasiya Padura

[Jose Luque]

Dear colleagues,

We are contacting you on behalf of Fundación TECNOVA, a Spanish Technology Centre based in Almería (Andalusia), specialising in applied R&D, innovation and technology transfer in the agri-food sector.

We are very interested in your proposal on the sustainable identification and exploitation of water resources for agricultural use, as it is closely aligned with our expertise in sustainable agriculture, water efficiency and digital technologies.

TECNOVA could contribute as a technical project partner in the following areas:

– Smart irrigation, fertigation and efficient agricultural water management.
– IoT sensors, digital monitoring and data analytics for precision agriculture.
– Pilot testing and validation of innovative technologies under real Mediterranean agricultural conditions.
– Environmental sustainability, climate adaptation and knowledge transfer to farmers and agricultural stakeholders.

Our experience in European collaborative projects includes:

– BioSolUDOE (Interreg Sudoe 2021–2027, ongoing): development and validation of integrated crop protection strategies based on biosolutions through Living Labs in Spain, France and Portugal. TECNOVA contributes to horticultural pilot activities and the coordination of common experimentation and evaluation methodologies.
– AgriDataValue (Horizon Europe): development of an intelligent agro-environmental data space to support digitalisation, interoperability and data-driven decision-making in agriculture.
– agROBOfood (Horizon 2020): European initiative supporting the adoption of robotics and digital innovation in the agri-food sector through a network of Digital Innovation Hubs.

We believe our technical expertise, experience in European cooperation and strong connections with the agricultural sector could add value to your initiative.

We would be pleased to explore the possibility of joining your consortium as a project partner, without assuming the lead partner role.

Could you please let us know whether you are still looking for technical partners and share further information about the project concept and consortium?

Kind regards,

Jose Luque
jluque@fundaciontecnova.com
Fundación TECNOVA
Agri-food Technology Centre – Almería, Spain
http://www.fundaciontecnova.com

[Center for Development of Pelagonija Planning Region CDPPR]

Dear Mateja,
I am writing on behalf of the Center for Development of the Pelagonija Planning Region (CDPPR), from Bitola, Macedonia, to express our interest in establishing cooperation with organisations looking for reliable and experienced partners for Interreg Euro-MED projects.

CDPPR is a public institution for regional development, established by the nine units of local self-government comprising the Pelagonija Planning Region. As a regional development institution, we work closely with municipalities, public institutions, local stakeholders, businesses and civil society organisations to identify and address regional development needs and translate them into concrete projects and actions. Our responsibilities include preparation and implementation of development projects, coordination of regional development activities, support to local communities, promotion of tourism and cultural heritage, and activities related to civil protection, resilience and sustainable territorial development.

CDPPR has substantial experience in project development, partnership building and project implementation under various national and international funding instruments. While Euro-MED would be a new programme framework for our institution, we have practical experience with Interreg cross-border cooperation, including project preparation, partnership coordination, financial and administrative management, implementation of activities, communication and reporting. Our experience also includes projects and initiatives related to sustainable and rural tourism, cultural and natural heritage, local economic development, environmental protection, agriculture, climate resilience and capacity building of local stakeholders. Through our institutional position, we can also facilitate access to the municipalities and relevant stakeholders across the Pelagonija region and support the testing, adaptation and territorial transfer of innovative solutions and good practices.
For the upcoming Interreg Euro-MED opportunities, we are particularly interested in joining partnerships where our regional expertise, territorial network and capacity to implement pilot actions can provide concrete added value. As Pelagonija region is the biggest agriculture region in our country, water and water sources are main challenge and of high importance in this moment.

If you are looking for a reliable partner from North Macedonia with strong links to local and regional authorities and practical experience in project implementation and territorial development, we would be pleased to discuss potential cooperation.
Please feel free to contact us at info@pelagonijaregion.mk to exchange information about your project ideas, partnership needs and potential areas of cooperation.
We look forward to establishing successful cooperation.

Kind regards,
Jasmina Matevska
Center for Development of Pelagonija Planning Region (CDPPR)
Bitola, Macedonia
info@pelagonijaregion.mk

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