Apr 22. 2026

We Welcome European Partners for the 3rd AquaSphere Peer Learning Event

We were pleased to host the third AquaSphere Peer Learning Event at PDR and Cardiff Metropolitan University on 23–24 March 2026. The two day gathering brought together colleagues from across Europe to share insights, strengthen partnerships, and explore new opportunities in water and maritime innovation.

AquaSphere, funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative, is designed to support higher education institutions in driving forward innovation within the blue economy. As an active partner in the programme, we were delighted to bring the network together in Cardiff.

Day One: Connecting With Our Partners

The first day focused on collaboration between core AquaSphere partners. We welcomed teams from the Technical University of Crete, İzmir Institute of Technology, the University of the Antilles, TechTour, and Envolve.

It was a valuable opportunity for partners to reflect on progress, discuss shared challenges, and exchange best practice. The conversations highlighted the strength of the consortium and the real impact being achieved through international cooperation.

Day Two: Broadening the Conversation

On the second day, we opened the event to a wider audience of researchers, innovators, and sector stakeholders from across Wales and Europe. This brought fresh perspectives to the table and sparked discussion around emerging trends in the blue economy.

We heard from a range of contributors, including Dr Rachel Mason Jones from Cardiff Metropolitan University, Dr Alla Silkina from Swansea University, and Don Snow from the Severn Estuary Tidal Bar. Their insights added depth to discussions on coastal sustainability, water monitoring, and cross disciplinary collaboration.

Showcasing Our Work — Hydrobean

We were pleased to showcase Hydrobean, presented by Josh James, Senior Design Consultant at PDR. Developed with Cardiff University, Hydrobean is a low cost device designed for citizen scientists to monitor river water quality in real time. Its durable, hydrodynamic casing allows it to sit on the riverbed for extended periods, including in challenging UK river conditions.

“It was inspiring to see what other projects are being developed in the marine space. Presenting Hydrobean opened up useful conversations with partners working on similar challenges and gave us a chance to exchange ideas directly.”

— Josh James, Senior Design Consultant, PDR.

Why Events Like This Matter

Discussions throughout the event focused on shared challenges and opportunities within the blue economy, emphasising the importance of cross border collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint research in developing sustainable solutions for Europe’s marine and coastal sectors.

Learn More About AquaSphere

AquaSphere offers a wide range of opportunities for students, staff, and innovators working in water and maritime innovation, including:

Acceleration programmes to support innovators and start ups as they develop, test, and scale new solutions.
Student training that provides hands on learning and skills development.
Staff training designed to build innovation capacity within higher education.