dvancing EU Water Directives: Forum on Innovation, Sustainability, and Collaboration

dvancing EU Water Directives: Forum on Innovation, Sustainability, and Collaboration

07/05/2025 - 08/05/2025

Our Faculty is hosting a joint event, Advancing EU Water Directives: Forum on Innovation, Sustainability, and Collaboration, organised by the ECO-Innovation Cluster for Sustainable Development and the Hungarian Water Partnership.

The objective of the forum is to examine and exchange insights on the following questions:

  • Overview of the water sector – how can cooperation maximise the benefits of water industry solutions?
  • What lessons have been learnt from water sector exports?
  • How have sustainability expectations changed daily operations in the water sector?
  • Development planning based on LCC and DCC – how does it support wise decisions on sustainable investments?

Programme

7 May

09:00 – 09:30 Registration, coffee
09:30 – 09:50 Welcome words:
Dr. Nicolae Ajtai – Dean of Environmental Science and Engineering Faculty, Babeș-Bolyai University
Dr. Nicoleta-Sanda Brișan PhD – President of the ECO-Innovation Cluster for Sustainable Development (CLEMS)
Dr. Károly Kovács PhD (oec) – President of the Hungarian Water Partnership (HWP)
BLOCK I  WATER AND WATER INDUSTRY SITUATION IN ROMANIA AND HUNGARY
09:50 – 10:10 The water industry in Romania: perspectives, challenges, and best practices for sustainable development. 
Dr. Eng. Ilie Vlaicu – President of the Romanian Water Association (ARA)
10:10 – 10:30 Hungarian water and wastewater industry situation from the perspective of export, good practices
Dr. Károly Kovács PhD (oec) – President of the Hungarian Water Association (HWA)
10:30 – 11:30 Panel discussion: “What makes water industry export work?” 
moderator: Dr. Eng. Florin Iliescu – member of the CLEMS Board
participants:
Dr Károly Kovács PhD (oec) – President of the Hungarian Water Association
Mr. Balázs Varga – Head of Water Technologies Business Unit, Puraset Group
Dr. Eng. Sorin Ulinici – Project Manager, Research-Development Institute for Environmental Protection Technologies and Equipment (ICPE Bistrita)
Dr. Eng. Călin Vasile Neamțu – General Director of Someș Water Company S.A.
Ms. Rita Studniczki – International Business Development Team Leader of Budapest Water Works
11:30 – 12:00 Coffee break
BLOCK II    THE STATUS AND ROLE OF THE INDUSTRY IN THE ESG-BASED SUSTAINABILITY VALUE CHAIN
12:00 – 13:00 Sustainability expectations: Green deal – Taxonomy – ESG
Dr. Dana Bako – Head of Political Economy Department, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (FSEGA-UBB)
The role of ESG in driving sustainable innovation in Romania’s water industry – GAPS, progress and policy alignment with EU taxonomy
Dr. Simina Lakatos – President, “Ernest Lupan” Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment (IRCEM)
Every last drop: Building Sustainable Value Chains
Dr. Jeremy Benn – Chief Executive of JBA Group
13:00 – 14:30 Sandwich lunch, informal B2B 
BLOCK III  LIFE-CYCLE COSTING (LCC) AND DYNAMIC COST COMPARISON (DCC) 
14:30 – 15:30 Panel discussion – Development Planning Based on LCC and DCC in Option Analysis and Public Procurement
moderator: Dr. Adina Rus, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FSEGA)
opening lecture: Dr. Károly Kovács PhD (oec), Hungarian Water Association (HWA)
panel participants:
Dr. Simina Lakatos – President, “Ernest Lupan” Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment (IRCEM)
Dr. Valentin Filip – AMA Research and Development (Acumen Manifesto SRL)
Dr. Alexandra Csavdari – Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca (FSEGA-UBB)
15:30 – 16:30 BLOCK IV  PRESENTATIONS BY SPONSORS AND MEMBERS’ PITCH
Sponsors’ presentations (7′ each):

1.  Puraset Group, Mr. Balázs Varga, Head of Water Technologies Business Unit: “Regenerable Adsobents To Remove Arsenic, Fluoride And Boron” 

2. S.C. ICPE BISTRIȚA S.A

3. S.C. AQUATECH INTERNATIONAL SRL

4. PIPELIFE

5. FIATECH S.R.L.

6. SC MIRAROM SRL

7. Direct-Line Inox

8. UPONOR Infra

16:30 – 16:40 University of Pannonia – “Research and Innovation in the water sector at the University of Pannonia” ITIM Cluj-Napoca – “Research and Innovation in Advanced Materials for Water Decontamination and Drought Mitigation”
16:40 – 18:00 Coffee, refreshments, company presentations (2′ pitches), B2B
19:00 – Gala Dinner hosted by CLEMS – Pension Roata Faget , Drumul Sfântul Ioan, Cluj-Napoca / Kolozsvár

8 May

09:30 Site visit at the Cluj-Napoca Wastewater Treatment Plant – organized by CLEMS  
11:30 Visit to the Water Museum “Leonida Truță” – organized by CLEMS

The event is free to attend, however registration is required.