Innovating the Urban Drainage System: a new collaborative approach

Invitation to workshop

IKT is hosting a workshop on identifying good practice and research for optimising the performance of urban drainage assets.

IKT has joined with six other urban drainage labs to form Co-UDlabs, a new international “Consortium of Urban Drainage laboratories”. Together we are enabling access to our research facilities, providing training and undertaking common research activities with funding by the EU, and will build long term collaboration in urban drainage research. IKT will host a free workshop on optimising urban drainage assets.

Background to Co-UDlabs

Existing Urban Drainage Systems are ageing, but they are critical for protecting public health, reducing pollution impacts and urban flooding risks. The overall aim of Co-UDlabs project is integrate research and innovation activities in the field of Urban Drainage Systems (UDS) to address pressing public health, flood risks and environmental challenges.

Blog post: IKT joined EU’s Co-UDlabs project

Join our workshop to find out more

IKT is hosting one of Co-UDlabs first activities, a workshop over the mornings of 3rd and 4th November 2021 on identifying good practice and research for optimising the performance of urban drainage assets and improving their resilience to climate change and sustainability. Attendance is free, the agenda is available online and there is a simple registration.

About Co-UDlabs

map of Co-UDlabs partners

Nine partners from seven European countries engage in Co-UDlabs.

The consortium is coordinated by Universidade da Coruña (Spain) and comprises 9 partners from 7 European countries. Between us we are making available 17 unique “field scale” urban drainage experimental facilities, providing innovation, collaboration and high-level training opportunities.

How to engage with Co-UDlabs

  1. Take advantage of the “Transnational Access” to conduct your research in the facilities
    The project will be enhancing scientific and technical progress in the urban water sector through experiments carried out in 17 unique “field scale” urban drainage experimental facilities of seven research infrastructures: we aim to provide a total number of 29 accesses, with around 1080 days of granted access to the facilities, involving 141 different research users. Click here for more information
  2. Join our network and networking activities
    To receive regular information you can complete our contact form. Activities are planned to consolidate the European community of urban drainage researchers, innovators and utilities and to contribute to create a culture of cooperation with the main actors working in UD field. Find out more about our networking activities
  3. Engage with the training available
    Co-UDlabs supports education and training in UDS through seminars, advanced workshops, PhD courses, webinars and online videos.
  4. Learn from the Joint Research Activities being undertaken by Co-UDlabs
    A set of three Joint Research Activities will support services provided by the different facilities through the transnational access and also to facilitate progress in the urban drainage discipline by the transfer of new technologies, procedures and best practices:
    • JRA1 Smart sensing and monitoring in urban drainage
    • JRA2 Evaluation of assets deterioration in urban drainage systems
    • JRA3 Improving resilience and sustainability in urban drainage solutions

For more information visit the Co-UDlabs website

Co-UDlabs is a Horizon 2020 project funded under the Research Infrastructures programme (INFRAIA-02-2020 – Integrating Activities for Starting Communities).

Contact the IKT Co-UDlabs Team