EU Water Academy Launches First Town Hall Meeting on Skills and Capacity Development

On March 18, 2026, the first Town Hall Meeting of the EU Water Academy (EUWA) was successfully held online, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders from across Europe’s water sector. The EU Water Academy is a flagship initiative under the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy, launched in May 2025, with the objective of strengthening skills, fostering innovation, and enhancing capacity development across the water sector. The event marked an important step in building a collaborative platform for knowledge exchange, following insights gathered from the EU-wide survey and the EUWA inception event held in December 2025.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from representatives of the European Commission, including Alessandra Zampieri and Veronica Manfredi, who emphasized the critical role of training and professional development in achieving a resilient and future-proof water sector in Europe. Key European and international organizations contributed with short interventions, including the European Water Association, International Association of Water Service Companies in the Danube Region, IAWD, represented by Elisabeta Poci, Aqua Publica Europea, EUREAU and Water Europe. Their contributions highlighted the importance of continuous learning, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation in workforce development.

The agenda featured a series of interactive sessions addressing key topics such as innovative training techniques, industry-academia collaboration, leadership development in water management, sustainable practices and governance of water academies, cross-border skill exchange programmes, and certification and qualification frameworks. Speakers from utilities, academia, and industry shared practical experiences and case studies, while participants actively contributed through interactive feedback tools, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the initiative.

SHUKALB actively participated in this important event, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening professional capacities in Albania’s water sector and contributing to the broader European dialogue.

A highlight of the meeting was the presentation delivered by Ardian Islami, Director of the Directorate of Development Programs in the Field of Water Supply and Sewerage at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania. His presentation, titled “Reforming Skills Development and Capacity Building in the Water Supply and Wastewater Sector in Albania”, provided valuable insights into ongoing reforms and efforts to modernize the sector through targeted training, institutional strengthening, and alignment with European standards. His contribution showcased Albania’s proactive approach in addressing skills gaps and enhancing the performance and sustainability of water utilities.

The first EU Water Academy Town Hall Meeting set the stage for continued engagement among stakeholders and highlighted the shared commitment to investing in people as a key pillar of water resilience. Through initiatives like the EU Water Academy, the European water community is taking concrete steps toward building a skilled, adaptive, and future-ready workforce capable of addressing the growing challenges of the sector. SHUKALB remains committed to actively contributing to these efforts and to supporting knowledge exchange and professional development at both national and regional levels.