Successful FiW festive colloquium
What an overwhelming response! We officially inaugurated the oil mill as our new home with the FiW festive colloquium on 6 December 2024.
On 6 December, we celebrated the official inauguration of our new office space at the Ölmühle. We welcomed representatives from politics, business and water management to the celebratory colloquium and discussed research transfer together.
The inauguration of the 800-year-old former oil mill began in the morning as the FiW festive colloquium with welcoming speeches from Environment Minister Oliver Krischer (MUNV), Prof. Dr habil. Andrea Kienle (MKW), Mayor Dr Schmeer and RWTH Vice-Rector Matthias Wessling. Afterwards, all members and guests were presented with the new restored listed location of the FiW beside the Wildbach.
In the panel discussion that followed, Friederike Vietoris (LANUV), Frank Obenaus (EGLV) and Michael Natschke (Xylem), moderated by Frank-Andreas Weber (FiW), discussed previous successes of research transfer in water management, as well as future needs and new ways for predictable financing.
The 47th meeting of the Research Advisory Board, chaired by Ulrike Franzke (StEB Cologne), took place in the afternoon. Research transfer and networking are the focus of the Research Advisory Board. Three sessions were held, each focussing on three different topics:
- Energy at wastewater treatment plants: Power to X as a driver of the energy transition
- Blue-green infrastructure: climate impact adaptation in municipalities
- Water reuse and resource recovery
We would like to thank all members and guests for the active and lively discussion and the resulting impetus and suggestions. The next meeting will take place on 12 June 2025 at the Stammheim wastewater treatment plant in Cologne at the invitation of Chairwoman Ulrike Franzke.
We would like to thank all members, partners and supporters who are helping to shape the future of FiW e. V. – Research Institute for Water Management and Climate Future at RWTH Aachen University with vision and drive.