EMIS organises Thematic Fora allowing researchers, companies and public administration to share their views on the issues coming out of the MPC cooperation projects, and to explore the use of the different funding opportunities existing for EU-MPC cooperation.

The EMIS Fora are the further development of MIRA previous activities, notably thematic workshops, and the will to support international cooperation Projects supported by the EU and MPC. The Fora will establish Synergies between regional innovation actors selecting pilot cases where an innovation strategy will be developed.

The experiences gained will be used to propose active participation of the members of the MIRA consortium in the several running and future initiatives of promotion of Innovation in the countries of the MPC. Two EMIS Thematic Fora will be organised in 2011 and 2012. The first Forum will take place in Casablanca on 1st-2nd December 2011 and will address Water as a thematic area and will deal with water management and waste water having as a reference the objectives of Horizon 2020. The activities of this task will include the identification of MPC stakeholders in the area and the setting up of linkages and a plan for coordinated activities including dissemination of the outcomes of the cooperation projects and actions which involve MPC partners.

• EMIS FORUM – Casablanca, 1-2 December 2011

The agenda of the event is just below:

December 1st, 2011

• 08:30h - 09:00h - Registration

• 09:00h - 09:45h - Wellcome words by Abdelhafid Debbarh (General Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Morocco), and also by Aurélie Pancera (European Commission, General Directorate for Research and Innovation), also by Olga Anghelakis (Chef de la section secteurs sociaux at developpement rural, delegation de l'union europeen au Maroc), also by Abdelaziz Benjouad (Director of the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research, Morocco), also by Ahmed Nakkouch (President of the Association R&D Maroc) and also by Rafael Rodriguez (MIRA Coordinator).

• 09:45h – 10:30h - Overview on research, innovation and cluster approaches in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Space (EMIS): Latifa Belarbi (The World Bank, Center for Mediterranean Integration) and Khaled AbuZeid (Centre for Environment & Development for the Arab Region & Europe)
  
• 10:30h – 11:10h - Policies in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Space in the field of water and waste water management. Water policies in the frame of HORIZON 2020 and the Union for the Mediterranean: Aurélie Pancera (European Commission), Rafiq Husseini (Secretariat for the Union for the Mediterranean, Deputy Secretary General for Water and Environment, Water Expert Group, WEG) and Paolo Casalino (Head of the Brussels office of the Region Puglia).
  
• 11:10h – 11:40h - Coffee break
• Roundtable: Innovation and cluster activities in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Space in the field of water and waste water management: Latifa Bousselmi (Centre des Recherches et des Technologies des Eaux, Water Cluster, Tunisia), Mahmoud Hafsi (Office National de l'Eau Potable, Institut International de l'Eau et de l'Assainissement, Morocco), Hassem Amri (Biche, Tunisia) and Muhammad Shatanawi (Melia project).
  
• 13:00h – 14:00h - Lunch
  
• 14:00h – 16:00h - Roundtable: Funding opportunities and financing to support
  innovation, networking and clustering in the EMIS: Instruments for joint R&D cooperation: ERA NET - Angeles Macías (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain); Financing instruments of the European Investment Bank - Philippe Guinet (European Investment Bank); Presentation of selected bilateral funding schemes in water from MPC - The case of Jordan - Leonardo Piccinetti (Europe for Business); EU support for innovation in the Mediterranean Area - Ahmed Saleh (Head of the EU-Egypt Innovation Fund, RDI Programme).
• 16:00h – 16:30h - Coffee break
• 16:30h – 17:30h - Introduction to the parallel working sessions next day. Brief presentations on thematic scope by chairs of next day (each 10
  min.) - Roman Noetzel (DLR, Germany).
  1. De-Contamination of the Med (Horizon 2020) - urban and industry
  waste water treatment
  2. Integrated Water Management, waste water sustainable technologies
  for developing countries /reclaim water for agriculture
  3. Modelling of water management (water multi-use – adapting existing
  technologies, commercialisation, cost-efficiency, contingencyplanning for extreme events
  4. Valorisation (commercialisation, technology transfer, IPR)
  
• 20:00h - Gala Dinner at La Fibule restaurant (Boulevard de la Corniche, Phare El-Hank)
  

December 2nd, 2011

Parallel Sessions on Innovation in Water and Waste Water Management in the Mediterranean:

• Session I: De-Contamination of the Med (Horizon 2020), waste water treatment from industry: 1. Introduction, 2. 2-3 Expert interventions, 3. Roundtable discussion along and key questions.
• Session II: Integrated Water Management, waste water sustainable technologies for developing countries/reclaim water for agriculture, 1. Introduction, 2. 2-3 Expert interventions.
• Session III: Innovation in Water and Waste Water Management in the Mediterranean; 1. Introduction, 2. 2-3 Expert interventions, 3. Roundtable discussion along key questions.
• Session IV: Valorisation, technology, knowledge and innovation transfer, valorisation of research results; 1. Introduction, 2. 2-3 Expert Intervention, 3. Roundtable discussion along key questions.
• 13:00h - 14:00h - Lunch
• 14:30h - 16:00h - "Wastewater reuse and sustainability" - C. Bogliotti & A. Hamdy, and "EU FP for Research and Innovation: its content and its opportunities for funding the EU-MPC cooperation" - Elisabeth Lipiatou (EU-Comission, DG Research and Innovation).
• 16:00h - 16:30h - Presentation of parallel sessions by experts or chairs and Presentation of the "Casablanca Roadmap" and the next EMIS Forum in Tunisia.

Please find also the "Final report - The first Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Space (EMIS) Forum on Water and Waste Water Management", containing the conclusions of this First Forum.