Elbląg Specialisation and Water Economy Network - an initiative with a future.

On 21 April 2023, through the signing of a letter of intent by 13 signatories, the Elbląg Water Specialisation and Economy Network was established. Already in 2022, on the initiative of The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, networking activities to establish the group started. The members declared their willingness to cooperate in the creation of a network and platform for water cooperation. The network will be a place for multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination, under the leadership of the Municipality of Elbląg and coordinated by the Elbląg Technology Park and The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, acting as contact points for this informal group, supporting the entities of the water economy and economy of the northern Polish region.

The partners of the newly established network have set as their primary objective the building of effective cooperation between the communities operating in the sphere of surface and marine waters, ecology and marine sports and tourism, aiming to develop dialogue and multilateral cooperation, which has a key impact on the state and management of the region's surface water resources. All based on local and regional needs.
The Parties will jointly carry out tasks in the field of water policy and education in the broadest sense of the term, with particular emphasis on measures to prevent and minimise the results of the adverse effects of climate change on water resources and other effects of violent weather events, including countering problems of a water and wastewater nature and ensuring a proper balance of the water environment.

The network will provide a base for cooperation and expert assistance combining diverse potentials in order to use the local competences and unique capacities of academia, entrepreneurs and administration at all levels and related state and private entities including third sector organisations operating in the network area. It will also support all initiatives to secure and support sound water management and to develop the smart specialisation of the region in the area of broad water and marine specialisation, water and wastewater management and hydropower.

As a platform for dialogue between the parties to the agreement, the network will strengthen innovation and competitiveness of the actors of the economy and the water economy of northern Poland, and will strive for sustainable development of the Elbląg sub-region and the Vistula Spit, through education combining knowledge with practice in response to current local and regional challenges, innovation as the key to long-term success, and cooperation in various areas and dimensions to achieve synergies.
The group's mission will be to support an integrated water policy for the Żuławy and Elbląg sub-region and to jointly coordinate activities for the further development of a network of local and regional water specialisation and water economy actors.

At the moment, 13 parties are involved in the initiative and they are:

- Elbląg Municipality - City Hall of Elbląg

- Elbląg Technology Park

- Elbląg SeaPort Authority Ltd.

- Elbląskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji sp. z o.o.

- City Sports and Leisure Centre

- Zakład Utylizacji Odpadów sp. z o.o.

- The Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic

- Centralny Wodociąg Żuławski sp. z o.o.

- Non-public educational institution Academy of Water Sports "Grupa" Marcin Trudnowski

- LABO SPORT POLSKA sp. z o.o.

- FROG sp. z o.o.

- Bryza Scouts Water Centre of the Warmia and Mazury Polish Scouting Organisation (ZHP)

- Newspol sp. z o.o.

In the future, it is likely that further actors will be invited who express a willingness to be active in the above area in order to develop new initiatives.