avk-esg-2024-25 - Flipbook - Page 32
OUR PARTNERSHIPS
FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
It is difficult to create change on your own, and the sustainable transition is one of the
biggest change management projects facing public and private companies, governments,
and the like. That is why we consider SDG 17, Partnerships for Sustainable Development,
to be crucial for achieving the goals of the other SDGs.
At AVK, we therefore co-operate with partners across industries, governments, authorities,
civil society, and the academic world. In recent years, we have had a special focus on
partnerships in the water industry and thus, a special focus on SDG 6.
Read more about our formal partnerships in the next sections.
Water Valley Denmark
Water Valley Denmark (WVDK) is a
co-operation between Dansk Industri
(Confederation of Danish Industry), DI Water
(Confederation of Danish Industry - Water),
water supply companies, universities, research
units, and manufacturing companies, including
AVK. The purpose of WVDK is to bring together
the most skilled players to help create a CO2
and climate neutral water sector, to develop
solutions for the water industry, and to unlock
the Danish water sector’s potential to become
a world leader and double the export of water
technology by 2030.
AVK is one of the founding partners of
WVDK and holds a position on the steering
committee. Water Valley Denmark has received
DKK 57 million as a part of the REACT-EU
programme for the development of equipment
and techniques, and the plan is to develop a
Water Living Lab to do so. At AVK, we see
REACT-EU is recovery aid to areas in
Europe supporting investment projects
that promote crisis management
measures and contribute to a green,
digital, and resilient economic recovery.
The aid is an extension of the crisis
preparedness and crisis management
measures that have been implemented
in response to the coronavirus.
32 | AVK Group Sustainability report 2024/2025
great opportunities to further develop our Smart
Water solutions as participants in a Water Living
Lab. The lab provides a unique environment to
test innovative technologies, both hardware and
software, together with other manufacturers,
suppliers, utilities, consultants, and universities.
The LEAKman project
LEAKman was initiated to demonstrate how
Danish solutions can reduce loss of drinking
water and pave the way for innovative
technology. The LEAKman project has been
developed by a confederation of nine Danish
partners representing consultants, water
supplies, the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU), and technology suppliers such as AVK.
The LEAKman initiative aims to showcase
Danish solutions for minimising losses in
drinking water systems while paving the way for
innovative technologies. Its goal is to create a
state-of-the-art leakage management solution.
Strategic partnership between Ukraine
and Denmark
In 2022, Ukrainian President, Volodomyr
Zelenskyj, approached the Danish government
with a request for Denmark to support the
reconstruction of the city of Mykolaiv, once this
is possible.
Denmark agreed and had a master plan
prepared for the city’s reconstruction, including
not only reconstruction, but also modernisation
of the city’s water infrastructure. This was the
starting point for AVK, through its membership
of both the Danish Water Forum and DI Vand,
to start working with the Ukrainian water sector.
The first contact was made in 2023, with
Ukrainian participation in the summer school
for water, Advanced Water Cycle Management
Course, which subsequently has led to repeated
visits to Ukraine and the Ukrainian water sector.
In October 2024, at the Lviv Eco Forum, a MoU,
Memorandum of Understanding, was signed
between the Danish Water Forum and the
Ukrainian organisation Ukrvodokanalechologyia,
Ukraine Water Association, with the title
“Roadmap to Sustainable Water Infrastructure”.
As a result of the MoU, Danish Water Days,
has been established. Danish Water Days is a
series of events and initiatives where Denmark
provides expertise and support to Ukraine’s
water sector. Several Danish companies in the
water industry, including AVK, have presented
solutions for groundwater mapping and
management, drainage and leak reduction, as
well as wastewater treatment and resource
recovery.
AVK has been the main player in arranging
Danish Water Days as well as responsible for
the content of the days. Together with the
Danish Embassy in Kiev, AVK structured and
carried out a delegation visit to Denmark with
