In Hydro4U, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) is represented by two institutes: the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and River Research (IWA) and the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG).

The research focus of BOKU IWA lies on integral hydraulic engineering, with the following core elements: water use – water protection – protection from the water. These include research areas and expertise in renewable energy with sustainable hydropower, integrated flood risk management, (eco-) hydraulics, river research and hydraulic engineering, with an emphasis on sediment management and river morphology, river restoration as well as waterway infrastructure for inland navigation.

The research focus of BOKU IHG lies on sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems, including conservation, restoration and biodiversity aspects as well as the provision of ecosystem services in the light of anthropogenic pressures and global change in order to contribute towards the development and implementation of sustainable policies at national, EU and global levels – such as the EU Water Framework Directive (EU WFD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Fundación CARTIF is a leading Spanish Applied Research Centre in terms of R&D and technology transfer activities. CARTIF is legally established as a Foundation (private non-profit research centre) and its main goals are to identify technology needs and develop R&D-based knowledge, to support technological innovation in industry, mainly among SMEs and to disseminate R&D and innovation results.

Nowadays, CARTIF employs 185 people, mainly engineers, scientists and senior researchers working in three technical divisions, including the Energy Division. In 2021, CARTIF is participating in 59 ongoing international projects, including 35 H2020 projects (7 as coordinator) and 11 LIFE projects (5 as coordinator, including LIFE NEXUS).

CARTIF is a very active member of the European Factories of the Future Research Association (EFFRA – FoF PPP), the European Association for Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency (A.SPIRE – SPIRE PPP), the Big Data Value Association (BDVA – Big Data Value PPP), EURobotics (SPARK PPP on Robotics) and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC – BBI, Bio-Based Industries PPP), among other EU associations and initiatives.

Erhard Muhr GmbH is an experienced manufacturer of hydropower equipment with an international and diverse client base. Our products address relevant issues in species conservation and zero-impact design and are built to adapt to the situation on site.

EVINBO is the Dutch acronym for the Own Equity of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest. The Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) is the independent research institute of the Flemish government that underpins and evaluates biodiversity policy and management by means of applied scientific research, data and knowledge sharing. The Flemish government is a regional Belgian government, governing the North of Belgium, called Flanders.

INBO describes the state and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services, investigates causes of change and develops directly applicable instruments. It develops future studies that underpin nature policy in the longer term. We always do this in dialogue with partners from society, science, policy and management.

The team Aquatic Management of INBO is involved in Hydro4U. The Aquatic Management team conducts research in various management aspects of standing and running water. The research focus is on habitat restoration and restoration of longitudinal and lateral connectivity in streams and rivers as required for the conservation and restoration of aquatic fauna and flora. Typical research issues include the construction of environmentally friendly river banks, river restoration and the construction of fish passages. We have long-lasting experience in fish behavioural studies conducted with different types of telemetry such as acoustic telemetry, radio telemetry and passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry.

GLOBAL Hydro is the primary contact worldwide for hydropower technologies and secures a liveable environment for the next generations due to innovative solutions. We are specialists in Kaplan, Pelton and Francis turbines with capacities of 100 kW to 30 MW. With our power plant management system HEROS, our fully automated turbine and plant control system, as well as smarT, GLOBAL Hydro’s fully assembled PLUG-IN power plant solution, we are offering our customers sustainable package solutions.

hydrosolutions GmbH, a Swiss-based consulting company, and spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), designs, develops and deploys modern, innovative technology solutions for multi-faceted water resources management challenges in the global drylands. Core competencies are:

• integrated water resources management
• planetary-scale remote sensing
• low-cost monitoring via local involvement
• hydrological modeling of surface and groundwater
• flood modeling and hazard mapping
• the quantification of climate impacts, and
• the modernisation and digitisation of water information systems

The company’s previous and ongoing work focusses on semi-arid to arid Africa, Central and South Asia, as well as China. Clients include the Food and Agricultural Organisation, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Water Management Institute, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the World Bank.

ILF CONSULTING ENGINEERS (abbreviated to ILF) is a completely independent international engineering and consulting firm, with over 40 office locations across five continents. ILF supports its clients in technically demanding industrial and infrastructure projects within the following main business areas:

• Energy & Climate Protection
• Water & Environment
• Transportation & Urban Spaces
• Oil, Gas & Industrial

Tailor-made solutions, innovation, cost effectiveness, sustainability and environmental compatibility take priority in all projects entrusted to ILF.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a non-profit, research-for-development organisation that works with governments, civil society and the private sector to solve water problems in developing countries and scale up solutions. Through partnership, IWMI combines research on the sustainable use of water and land resources, knowledge services and products with capacity strengthening, dialogue and policy analysis to support the implementation of water management solutions for agriculture, ecosystems, climate change and inclusive economic growth. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center whose mission is to provide water solutions for sustainable, climate-resilient development.

IWMI has an official presence in Central Asia since 2001 with the opening of a subregional office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. IWMI positions itself as principal research and knowledge partner in water resources management in the region. They collaborate closely with the ministries, local water management authorities, farmers, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), other CGIAR centers and donor-funded projects. In particular, IWMI’s research in the region focuses on identifying best practices for saving water, improving irrigation performance, reversing trends in land degradation and salinity, and contributing to the development of effective water resource institutions. Furthermore, IWMI’s research projects look to water-energy-food nexus linkages, improving water and energy use efficiency, enhancing transboundary cooperation as well as climate change projections in selected river basins, building capacity of water management professionals, evaluating impact assessment of the projects as well as river basin management planning and improving on-farm water accounting.

Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov (KSTU) is the flagship of engineering and technical education in Kyrgyzstan. The University trains highly qualified specialists in various fields for our republic, the countries of the near and far abroad. KSTU closely cooperates with enterprises and investors, where it sends its students and graduates for Engineering practical training and further employment.

Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is committed to working in the areas of innovation and internationalisation as well as transnational technology transfer to stimulate and support the innovation process in industrial companies. Steinbeis Europa Zentrum has been operating since 1990, supporting innovation of SMEs, cross-border technology transfer, building innovation capacities in SME, and supporting SME´s participation in EU research projects.

Well-connected with international partners and networks, we stand by companies, start-ups, universities, research institutions and cluster initiatives on issues of innovation management, financing, EU applications, international markets, regional and social transformation and innovation policy.

Steinbeis is active in different sectors including energy and environmental technologies. Within these sectors, Steinbeis has a wide portfolio of EU projects to which it has contributed its expertise in exploitation, replication, dissemination and communication.

SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering (SJE) provides engineering services in river hydraulics and river ecology. SJE develops and applies advanced simulation tools for the assessment and mitigation of hydropower impacts, e. g. the software CASiMiR for fish habitat and migration analysis.

KJ Consult provides sustainable and environment-friendly planning and design of hydropower installations.

The “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University (TIIAME NRU) is a regionally recognised academic and research institute known for its top programmes in engineering (irrigation, water resources, ecology and environment, electrification & automation, agricultural mechanisation, land management and agricultural economics / management & marketing).

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) ranks among Europe’s most outstanding universities in research and innovation – an achievement powered by its distinctive character as an entrepreneurial university. The university is characterised by a unique profile with its core domains natural sciences, engineering, life sciences and medicine.

The Chair of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering of TUM has broad experience in hydropower, sediment transport, sediment management, river morphology, habitat modelling and flood management control. It was involved in various hydropower investigations mainly by doing physical or numerical model test.