EJWP-founder Naomi Timmer: “Our community is a long-term investment in Europe’s water resilience”

Naomi Timmer, a Dutch entrepreneur, started with the European Junior Water Programme (EJWP) within H2O-People in 2019. The programme offered young participants in a two year programme, water education, excursions and personal training. It was designed as a space where young professionals could grow into leaders. Today, the active EJWP community includes over 150 participants and alumni across more than 30 organisations and 20 European countries, forming a truly cross-border ecosystem. Naomi Timmer tells more about it on Water News Europe.

What is so special about the EJWP-community?

“What makes this network unique is not only its geographic spread, but also its interdisciplinary nature. This is exactly the type of collaboration that is needed to address complex European water challenges, which require both technical expertise and strong human connections. Within EJWP, engineers work alongside social scientists, policy experts, and communication specialists. This diversity allows us to approach water challenges in a much more integrated and innovative way. The participants are active in a wide range of organisations, including research institutes, water utilities, water companies, consultancies, governmental bodies, and NGOs.

What I am really proud of is that the network does not end after the programme. It continues to evolve into a long-term professional community. Alumni actively collaborate, exchange knowledge, and support one another in their careers. I often come across them at European events and / or I see LinkedIn and personal messages of them changing roles into leadership positions within the European water sector. In that sense, EJWP is not just a programme, but a growing European ecosystem that continues to strengthen collaboration and leadership across the sector.”

Why did you start with this challenging initiative?

“I started with EJWP from a strong belief that the water sector needs a new generation of professionals who are not only technically skilled, but also able to collaborate across borders, cultures, and disciplines. Through my work in the sector, I saw that while technical expertise was strong, there was a clear gap in European collaboration and leadership development. At the time, I saw a gap: young professionals were entering the sector with ambition, but without a strong European network, knowledge exchange or leadership development opportunities. Water challenges; whether pollution, climate adaptation, or water scarcity, do not stop at national borders, so neither should our solutions and learnings. Bringing that together can create real impact in society, which is my passion to accomplish. EJWP is not just a training programme; it is a mechanism to strengthen Europe’s capacity to respond to water challenges together.”

What is the added value of the international network?

“The biggest advantage is that you learn to look at water challenges from a different perspective. Water challenges often look different depending on where you are, but the underlying systems are deeply connected. An international network allows professionals to learn from different contexts, transfer solutions, and avoid reinventing the wheel. It also builds trust across borders. When crises or challenges arise, having an existing network means you can move faster and collaborate more effectively. For H2O-People, this cross-border collaboration is a core principle: meaningful solutions emerge when people from different contexts truly work together. Finally, it fosters innovation. When people from different disciplines and cultures come together, new ideas emerge, often at the intersection of those differences. It is this combination of trust, diversity, and shared purpose that accelerates innovation in the European water sector.”

Can you give some examples of collaboration within the EJWP network?

“One of the strengths of EJWP is that collaborations continue long after the programme. Former participants don’t hesitate to contact each other. There’s a strong sense of trust and community, which makes collaboration natural rather than forced.

Let me give you a few concrete examples. Participants have supported each other on research proposals and European projects. Alumni working in utilities have reached out to peers in other countries to exchange solutions on pollution control or stakeholder engagement. During programmes like the EJWP Summer School and iMERMAID activities, participants co-created solutions that combined technical and behavioural approaches.

The most practical example arises from two games developed in EJWP projects. One developed by the second EJWP group, with our client Acteon, to interact with stakeholders and is integrated in the Toolkit for Societal Impact of iMERMAID project. The other game is developed by the fourth EJWP -group in connection with WATNEX project for Highschool Students which is still played at the schooling of iMERMAID, at Science Nights, different school visits and even at high level events such as the first Water Resilience Forum in Brussels last year.

These collaborations show how the network translates into real impact, with participants and alumni actively contributing to European projects, policy discussions, and innovation in practice.”

What do you think about the initiative to start with a European Water Academy?

“Currently, knowledge in the water sector is fragmented; spread across universities, institutions, and countries. A European Water Academy (EUWA) can act as a unifying force, connecting science, policy, and practice. It is crucial because the challenges we face are becoming more complex, interconnected, and urgent. In the European Union we need a platform that combines lifelong learning, cross-sector collaboration, and practical, mission-driven innovation. What is currently missing is a structure that connects these elements across Europe in a consistent and accessible way.

Moreover, we need to move beyond traditional education. The future requires professionals who can think in systems, engage stakeholders, and drive behavioural change. An academy should therefore focus not only on knowledge transfer, but on mindset, leadership, and impact. It should break through many different systems to be able to work. Young professionals already act and think often in this integrated approach but cannot act upon it. I hope that with the push of EUWA the sector can adapt and this way of working can be integrated throughout Europe. This is where initiatives like EJWP already provide valuable building blocks.”

Do you think the EJWP-community could play a role in EUWA?

“Absolutely—and not only as participants, but as active contributors to shaping the future of such an academy. Many of our professionals have experienced how fruitful international collaboration can be. They would have the capacity to take on coaching roles, especially for young water professionals. I have experienced most of the young participants were well educated, but sometimes a bit insecure in operating in an international environment. Gaining confidence is extremely important. That is why digital education alone is not sufficient. Of course, digital learning is incredibly valuable. It increases accessibility, scalability, and flexibility. But water challenges are ultimately about people, relationships, and real-world systems.

How would you, as a water sector expert, design the European Water Academy? “What a great question! I would design the European Water Academy as a mission-driven, collaborative learning ecosystem connecting and building upon the existing learning ecosystem… It should include ‘learning by doing’. Participants have to work on real European water challenges, linked to programmes like Horizon Europe or regional initiatives. Face-to-face and online! Another important pillar would be leadership and mindset development. Education is not just about technical training, but skills such as systems thinking, knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement, communication, and behavioural change. If Europe is serious about water resilience, we need to invest as much in people and collaboration as in technology. Ultimately, the future of the water sector depends on how well we connect people, knowledge, and action across Europe.”