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EIT Water is Europe’s innovation community for water, marine and maritime systems. We connect industry, innovators, researchers, educators and policymakers to tackle the most urgent water challenges-from scarcity, drought and flooding to pollution and ecosystem decline. By bringing together the right expertise, investment and partners, we help new ideas flow into real-world solutions that strengthen Europe’s water resilience, support the blue economy and protect ecosystems from source to sea. EIT Water is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
EIT Water’s mission is to accelerate Europe’s transition to sustainable, resilient and inclusive water systems by enabling coordinated, place-based systemic innovation across regions and sectors. We will connect industry, innovators, researchers, educators and policymakers to tackle the most urgent water challenges – from scarcity, drought and flooding to pollution and ecosystem decline. By bringing together the right expertise, investment and partners, we will help new ideas flow into real-world solutions that strengthen Europe’s water resilience, support the blue economy and protect ecosystems from source to sea.
Founded in 2026, EIT Water will overcome fragmentation by unlocking the full potential across our water landscape, amplifying the impact of existing strengths, assets and initiatives across Europe, and enabling systemic innovation from the Arctic North to the Global South. We will deliver groundbreaking innovations, support impactful businesses to scale solutions across borders, and develop a skilled workforce able to respond to existing and emerging challenges. In doing so, EIT Water will help secure Europe’s water future: protecting its water resources, building its climate resilience, improving its competitiveness, and strengthening its security. Our vision is a Europe where healthy water ecosystems drive economic opportunity, environmental protection and social wellbeing.
in EIT Community
Start Up Funding
founding partners
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EIT Water holds overall executive responsibility for leading the organisation in delivering its mission to strengthen Europe’s water innovation ecosystem. The role is accountable for strategic leadership, operational excellence, financial sustainability, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that EIT Water delivers measurable impact aligned with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and EU policy objectives.
The organisation is being created in 2026. The appointed CEO will have a pivotal role in the establishment of the entire organisation, putting the strategy and vision of members in the ecosystem into practice and building relationships and establishing trust with funders and key stakeholders in the sector. It is a start-up environment where agility, fast-thinking and strong leadership from the front will be crucial for success.
The ideal candidate brings:
From water scarcity and pollution to pressures on marine ecosystems, fisheries, and maritime infrastructure, challenges across fragmented aquatic systems in Europe are intensifying. Securing water and food systems, strengthening climate resilience, and safeguarding trade and critical infrastructure requires a fundamental shift in how these systems are designed, managed, and delivered.
This goes beyond coordination to the integration of innovation, investment, and real-world implementation across sectors and geographies at scale. EIT Water builds, develops and mobilises an innovation ecosystem to address these challenges. We connect ideas with investment to turn innovation concepts into scalable commercial ventures with real-world impact that drives economic activity, growth and supports climate resilience, circularity and ecosystem restoration.
EIT Water deliver impact through a coordinated, place-based framework that unites islands of excellence across Europe from source to sea and amplifies their collective impact.
Through three interconnected streams of activity, EIT Water accelerate Europe’s capacity to solve water challenges:
Our focus will be on tackling Europe’s most urgent water challenges. Specifically, our key focus will be on solving:
Europe’s water systems are under growing pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, drought, flooding and ageing infrastructure. At the same time, innovation across the sector is fragmented, under‑funded and often slow to scale.
EIT Water was created to:
We will accelerate Europe’s transition to sustainable, resilient and inclusive water systems by enabling coordinated, place-based systemic innovation across regions and sectors.
A Europe where healthy water ecosystems drive economic opportunity, environmental protection and social wellbeing.
We are custodians — of public and private funds, of our partners’ trust, of Europe’s water future, and of this organisation beyond our own tenure. We take ownership, accountability, and responsibility for our decisions. We think in decades, not quarters. We build to last — competitive, resilient, and financially sustainable.
We trust each other — within our organisation and our partnership — to act with integrity and good judgment. This trust is reciprocal, hard-earned, and carefully maintained through transparency, directness, and keeping our commitments across the entire community.
Everything we do must create real value for Europe’s water, maritime, and marine (WMM) landscape — from source to sea — and strengthen European competitiveness. We drive impact within our organisation, on our employees, students, and all stakeholders. We measure what matters — including what can’t be easily quantified. If impact isn’t clear, we pause. We exist to make a difference, not to tick boxes.
We create psychological safety so everyone can dare to challenge the status quo, speak up when something isn’t right, and try new approaches. We move fast on reversible decisions, learn from failures, and support each other to take smart risks.
We achieve more together than apart by overcoming fragmentation — both internally and externally. We share knowledge freely, support each other across boundaries, and build credibility as one community — leadership, CLCs, and 150+ partners working as a whole, not as silos.
Our work is delivered through a network of regional hubs across Europe, connecting regional strengths to pan-European impact through place-based innovation ecosystems. Our regional hubs are:
EIT Water will be supported in this process by the executive search firm Perrett Laver. Applications should include a current CV and a cover letter setting out your interest and relevant experience.
To apply for the Chief Executive Officer Role: please submit your applications HERE. Enquiries can be made directly to Tiziano Sartor quoting reference 8398.
The closing date for all applications will be 5pm CET, Friday 5th June 2026.
EIT Water is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. This activity is funded by the European Union. EIT Water is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications without discrimination on any grounds.
As an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU framework programme for research and innovation, the Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, known as EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) among leading companies, research labs, and universities. Currently, nine EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities are supported: Climate KIC, 28DIGITAL, InnoEnergy, EIT Health, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing, EIT Urban Mobility and EIT Culture & Creativity. EIT Water is the tenth EIT KIC.
Together with its leading partners, the EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe: entrepreneurial education courses, business creation and acceleration services, and innovation-driven research projects.
As Global Senior Partner, Sinéad is responsible for the long-term strategic development of Perrett Laver alongside the acceleration of its commercial growth.
During her ten years at Perrett Laver, Sinéad established and led the firm’s operations in Amsterdam and Dublin, while continuing to grow Perrett Laver’s Research, Technology and Innovation, and Higher Education practices across Europe.
Sinéad’s experience at Perrett Laver includes advising on senior executive and non-executive appointments for universities, public and privately funded research institutes, as well as research-oriented charities and non-profits.
Sinéad holds an honours degree in Natural Science from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in Neuroscience from University College Cork.
Lisbeth is the Managing Partner, Netherlands & Head of Research Europe.
Her experience of senior level executive search includes Senior Academic, Chair and Professorial appointments globally across all disciplines in higher education.
Lisbeth holds an MSc in Biology, a subsequent MSc in Environmental Management and Sanitation, and a PhD in Environmental Toxicology, all from Ghent University, Belgium. Her doctoral research focussed on the occurrence, effects and risks of marine microplastics. Lisbeth is fluent in Dutch and English, and speaks basic French and German.
