Implementation of the Center of Excellence in Water Industry Clusters (CEWIC) in Oulu took a significant step forward when the Oulu City Board allocated EUR 750,000 of the city's funds to its financing for this year and the following three years. Finance has also been sought from the European Regional Development Fund, research institutes and companies. The project is estimated to cost approximately EUR 3.6 million. The objective of the CEWIC project is to establish a high-standard research center focused on water and wastewater treatment. Its research, development and innovation operations will be guided by the water industry market and the needs of companies. Around 20 companies and numerous research and training institutes around Finland are committed to CEWIC. CEWIC will operate as a network open to all Finnish players in the sector. The operations of the research center will be commenced and established in a three-year project involving the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, the University of Oulu, the City of Oulu, Technopolis and other companies. The center will eventually acquire the resources and financing it needs on its own. CEWIC will be located in Technopolis's Laanila technology center in Oulu. The project is a part of an extensive co-operation agreement for the development of environmental business that was approved in 2004 and renewed in 2007. Water technology also has solid foundations in Oulu, as Kemira's Oulu research center has carried out top-level water chemical research for a long time. Pertti Huuskonen, President and CEO of Technopolis, considers CEWIC to be an excellent demonstration of successful co-operation between the private and the public sectors. It is also a fine example of projects undertaken jointly by the two universities. Huuskonen also points out that water technology may end up being a very important sector for the Oulu region. "There is a vast market throughout the world for water technology and derivative products, and this demand is rising continuously," he says. The water business in Oulu is focused around comprehensive solutions related to industrial fresh water, process water circulation, wastewater purification and communal water supply. CEWIC is the spearhead project of the environmental technology cluster of the Center of Expertise Program, and has been initiated by Technopolis Plc. The Center of Expertise Program is coordinated in the Oulu Region by Oulu Innovation Ltd. For additional information, please contact: Technopolis Plc, Eero Huttunen, Program Director, tel. +358 50 3207245