🚀 A Successful PCP WISE Info Day

On 28 May 2025, over 75 participants from across Europe gathered virtually for the PCP WISE Info Day — an energising and insightful event dedicated to present the rationale behind PCP WISE, introduce the use cases, and explain the technical and functional requirements needed to meet the buyers’ needs. Hosted by Het Waterschapshuis and supported by PCP WISE public buyers and support organisations, the session offered a deep dive into the Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) process and the upcoming Call for Tenders.

Setting the Scene

The Info Day opened with a warm welcome from Joost Buntsma (Het Waterschapshuis), the Lead Procurer of PCP WISE. He emphasised the growing urgency for resilient water management solutions and introduced the structure of the morning’s agenda, designed to foster transparency and market engagement in the framework of the Open Market Consultation (OMC).

🌍 From Climate Challenges to Use Cases

The Rationale Behind PCP WISE

Hans van Leeuwen (STOWA) laid out the conceptual foundation of the PCP WISE project. His presentation illustrated the increasing frequency of extreme water-related climate events — droughts, floods, wildfires, and land subsidence — and made a compelling case for focusing on the Soil-Water-Vegetation (SWV) system as a cross-sectoral indicator. As Hans highlighted, “Our goal is to move from generalised climate data to highly localised, actionable intelligence that supports both immediate and long-term water resilience planning.”

🔍 Five Real-World Use Cases: Bridging Innovation and Need

The core of the Info Day showcased five public sector use cases presented by project partners, each illustrating region-specific water challenges:

1. Urban Drought – Northern Europe
   Presented by Meri Vainio (Forum Virium Helsinki), this use case addresses urban infrastructure degradation due to groundwater depletion and heat island effects in cities like Helsinki and Rotterdam.

2. Urban Flood – North-Central Europe
   Martin Tuchyna (Ministry of Environment, Slovak Republic) outlined how Bratislava is coping with both river and flash floods. Stakeholders need better access to real-time data and user-friendly analytics to protect infrastructure and public safety.

3. Rural Drought – Northwest-Central Europe
   Klaas Pauly (BENEGO) detailed how prolonged droughts in the Belgian-Dutch border region threaten biodiversity and agriculture. New monitoring tools are needed to support water retention and land management strategies.

4. Rural Drought & Flooding – Southern Europe
   From Catalonia to Central Macedonia, Estefania Blanch (IEEC) highlighted how shifting precipitation patterns are amplifying both flood and drought risks. Local agencies urgently need high-resolution, predictive tools.

5. Rural Drought & Flooding – Northern Europe
   Pernille Weiland (Klimatorium) shared challenges from Denmark’s Lemvig Living Lab, where peatland subsidence and infrastructure vulnerability call for robust soil-moisture analytics and long-term planning tools.

Following these cases, Hans van Leeuwen returned to explain how these localised challenges are feeding into a European-wide interoperable solution — a scalable model for public water management informed by shared methodologies and datasets.

🔄 Understanding the PCP Process

Ana Lucia Jaramillo Villacis (Corvers) and Arnoud Gringhuis (Het Waterschapshuis) then walked participants through the PCP process and the OMC:

• PCP WISE is structured around three competitive phases, fostering innovation and gradually selecting the best solutions.

• The OMC document outlines technical requirements and eligibility rules.

• A Request for Information (RFI) has been launched to collect market insights and fine-tune the upcoming tender. The deadline for responses is 15 June 2025.

❓Interactive Q&A

The final session, moderated by Joost Buntsma, opened the floor to questions. Attendees raised points about data interoperability, consortia formation, and IPR provisions. These inquiries will help shape the upcoming tender specifications and future PCP communication.

📣 What’s Next?

If you’re a tech provider, research institute, or policy stakeholder interested in helping Europe adapt to water-related climate extremes, this is your chance to engage. Check out the OMC document and RFI survey, both available on the PCP WISE website, and be part of the next wave of climate resilience innovation.

Be part of the upcoming OMC events and register on the PCP WISE Community Platform:

🗓️ First OMC Online Event (June 3rd)

🗓️ Second OMC Hybrid Event (June 12th)

For questions, contact:
📧 info-PCP-WISE@group-gac.com