Water Security in Jordan: from Data to Decision (WaterD2D) is a BMBF funded project in which a consortium of higher education institutions promote evidence-based knowledge as an effective tool for decision making towards a water secure Jordan. Our mission is to rethink and redesign current and ongoing research concepts jointly with the stakeholders to co create demand-driven research with a focus on the needs of the society, in particular:

• To focus on research questions triggered by the needs of the decision makers and stakeholders in responding to current and potential societal challenges,
• To form innovation ecosystems channeling research results to social innovation processes and products with market potential,
• To create spaces for collaboration between scientists, policy makers and stakeholders from various sectors to discuss the diverse facets of water security and harmonize current and future research between academia and practice.

The overall objective of the WaterD2D research project is to contribute to the formation of innovation ecosystems in Jordan that foster research-based innovation, channeling the research results into social innovation processes and products with market potential.

The WaterD2D project follows the ‘Innovation Ecosystem’ rationale to strengthen the ability of the private sector, universities, individual entrepreneurs, and others to work together effectively and contribute to solving different sets of problems and societal challenges. Based on the discussions and findings of the preparatory project phase, the WaterD2D project strategy focuses on three interdependent prerequisites of the intended innovation ecosystem: framework conditions that facilitate and promote research-based innovation; interfaces that support the implementation of the developed frameworks by facilitating communication and interaction between academia and other stakeholders towards demand- and market-oriented research and products; and university capacities according to the requirements of those frameworks and interfaces.

The project-specific objectives are as follows:

• Contribute to the improvement of the framework conditions (governance) relevant to research and innovation.
• Strengthen the interface between research, practice, and the economy.
• Capacitate staff, researchers, and young scientists in Germany and Jordan with entrepreneurship and start-up thinking skills for demand-oriented and applicable research.

Funding Programme: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)

Project start: 01.12.2020
Project end: 30.10.2023
Project management: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Disse and Prof. Gabriele Chiogna
Project team: M.Sc. Mohammad Alqadi, M.Sc. Ala Aldwairi, M.Sc. Fabian Merk

Homepage: www.waterd2d.info