The Limassol District Local Government Organization (EOAL) in Cyprus hosted the first workshop as part of the ERC Limassol Water Futures Living Lab on Wednesday, 4th of December 2024. The workshop was organized by the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) team and attended by EOAL representatives. First, Professor Phoebe Koundouri, Principal Investigator of the project at AUEB, provided an introduction to the ERC Water Futures Project, followed by Dr Ebun Akinsete (AUEB), who presented the objectives for the workshop and the potential activities with the EOAL case study. Then, Mr. Socrates Metaxas (EOAL) provided an overview of the key activities and concerns of the organizations, initiating a discussion on the preliminary challenges and potential collaboration opportunities with the ERC Water Futures project.
EOAL, a local government organization in Cyprus, aims to provide affordable and efficient water services to vulnerable populations, such as pensioners and small communities in mountainous areas. The board of directors embraced the collaboration with the ERC Water Futures project to address challenges and co-create solutions. They focus on consumer behavior, tariff structures, linkages, and infrastructure, as well as identifying key areas for change within the system. The board will work with international partners to develop innovation pathways and develop a portfolio of innovations, including smart meters. The organization has undergone significant changes, including a new structure, consolidation of services, and introduction of new departments and units.
During the first workshop, two activities took place, the first focusing on understanding the context and the second defining the challenges moderated by Dr Akinsete and Ms Lydia Papadaki (AUEB), including a coffee break and a demonstration on Sustainability Monitoring and Reporting provided by Dr Conrad Landis (AUEB).
