Entrepreneurial Multidisciplinary scientists forging Pathways Onto clean Water, sustainable Energy and Resources

EMPOWER is an innovative entrepreneurial-based doctoral programme aiming to train scientific entrepreneurs with the skillset to operate between academia, companies, start-ups, public authorities and the general public.

This professional figure will have high impact in a post-COVID future where the efforts of research are required to transform the European Union into a modern, green, inclusive and resilient economy, where growth is de-coupled from resource use.EMPOWER will build-up on the experience of Wetsus, a multidisciplinary research institute where intersectoral cooperation between companies, universities and public authorities takes place.

In EMPOWER the partners will be 3 universities and 14 companies. EMPOWER will recruit 14 ESRs in one widely advertised call and a transparent 3-round selection procedure.

ESRs are employed by the academic partners, according to the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities, to earn their PhD degree together with an integrated business-oriented training.

Each ESR will shape her/his own project around the idea of achieving clean water and energy, resource recovery and smart water management.

Two supervisors (one from Wetsus and one from academia) and an industry mentor will constitute a multidisciplinary “knowledge triangle” to guide each ESR.

Together with this, the training of each ESR will focus on research, multidisciplinary expertise, entrepreneurship and personal development.