Helsingborg Makes Major Investment in Sustainable Water Innovation

The source-separating wastewater system “Three Pipes Out” drew the world’s attention to Helsingborg. The initiative called One Water aims to make the city an international growth engine in sustainable water management.

Helsingborg has received funding of over SEK 500,000 from the prestigious Impact Innovation Program Water Wise Societies for the EHLSA project. The project is part of a comprehensive initiative, One Water, which aims to establish an innovation ecosystem around water, where various stakeholders such as property companies, research institutions, and civil society can collaborate to develop new solutions. The funding enables new opportunities and collaborations with a range of actors.

– Water is the new black. We see water as a growth area that will attract companies, research actors, and students. This, in turn, can increase employment in the city, says Anna-Karin Bergman, Program Manager for Research and Innovation at the City of Helsingborg.

The One Water initiative and the EHLSA project stem from extensive global trend monitoring, which identified water management as a future growth area. Both national and international trends indicate that water issues are crucial for the future. A key component of the initiative is the development of demonstration environments, such as testbeds where new technologies can be tested and evaluated.

– This is crucial for promoting more circular and sustainable systems. We need to think about systemic transformation now, says Anna-Karin Bergman.

– When we invite more stakeholders to the table, we increase the chances for a sustainable transformation of the entire system. We then pool our resources, our innovative power and capabilities, and challenge conventional structures, which is central to achieving a shift toward sustainable water management, says Anna-Karin Bergman.

Another exciting aspect is that Helsingborg is participating in a European consortium to apply for funding from a new EU water innovation program, the so-called the Water Kick. If successful, this could mean additional resources and international collaboration partners for the city.

– The Water Kick could become an important catalyst for the transformation journey that we as a society need, concludes Anna-Karin Bergman.