Catalan Water Partnership closes an agreement with the largest water cluster in the United States

The Catalan Water Parntership (CWP) has signed a collaboration agreement for the next three years with the largest water cluster in the United States, the Water Council, with the aim of promoting the internationalization of the Catalan water sector. Based in Milwaukee (Wisconsin), the American entity is made up of more than 200 members between SMEs, large corporations, engineers, entrepreneurs, and government agencies.

The signing of the agreement, which has been supported by the Government of Catalonia through Catalonia Trade & Investment, comprises the identification of business opportunities in the United States, as well as the organization of joint activities and helping Catalan companies land in the United States. Born in 2008, the Catalan Water Partnership has 81 associates including large companies, SMEs, research centers and universities. These are water distribution companies, industries that manufacture products related to the sustainable use of water, engineering, construction companies or the recreational water sector, among others.

The clusters have closed the collaboration agreement in the framework of a mission that accompanied 10 Catalan companies in the water sector to the United States to establish links with potential customers and partners and to detect new business opportunities. In particular, the Catalan delegation has participated in the WEFTEC fair in New Orleans, considered one of the most important ones in this sector in North America, which this year celebrated its 91st edition with over 1,000 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors from all the world. The mission has been organized through the office of Catalonia Trade & Investment in Washington D.C. in collaboration with the CWP.

The water sector in Catalonia

The water sector in Catalonia is made up of 402 companies employing 45,465 workers and invoicing 4,480 million euros directly linked to the water sector, which is equivalent to 2.2% of the Catalan GDP, according to a study by Catalonia Trade & Investment. 52.7% of Catalan companies in the water sector are exporters, while 13.7% already have subsidiaries abroad. In fact, the document identifies the United States, Australia, Brazil, India or China, as the markets that present more business opportunities.

More than 300,000 employees in Catalan clusters

The CWP is one of the 28 clusters accredited by the Catalonia Clusters program promoted by Catalonia Trade & Investment, an initiative that promotes the grouping of companies and entities in the same sector to share resources, create synergies and expand internationally. Currently, the 28 Catalan clusters of the program group 2,200 companies with a turnover of 74,000 million euros and 309,000 employees.