On November 28th, the first meeting of the Connection and Reflection Group, a think-tank of the European Connected River project, took place in Brussels. It is chaired by Carola Hein, professor at TU Delft (Netherlands) and organized by AIVP.
The members of this group (HAROPA, Oslo Port, ALICE ETP, City of Brussels, Port of Brussels, Rikswaterstaat, Ecoloop, Innovalor) were able to discover some of the methodologies developed as part of this project, as well as preview the content of the 6 pilot projects. They also had the opportunity to provide their critical analysis of the project and its achievements since its launch in spring 2023. The Port of Brussels then presented its own challenges related to the canal for which it is the operator. These included the desire to maintain industrial activity while enhancing the value of the waterway's surroundings for downtown residents.
The day concluded with a guided tour of the area around the port authority's offices to present several urban projects to transform former industrial sites.
An annual physical meeting is planned for the duration of the project, as well as some online meetings in between.
The group consist of leading external experts and high-level partners, under the leadership of AIVP. Their role will be to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to critically analyse the project results in terms of quality, practicability and dissemination.
The Connected River project is financed by the Interreg North Sea program and focuses on the challenges of sharing the use of waterways. As part of this project, AIVP is in charge of disseminating best practices between the various project members, as well as disseminating information to its own members to extend the positive benefits of this project to as many organizations as possible.
Source: AIVP
