The presentation of the Chair will be attended by the Vice-Principal for Innovation and Transfer, Maria Dolores Real; the Director General of Economic Model, Regional Financing and Financial Policy, Juan Salvador Pérez; and the Professor of Applied Economics responsible for the Chair, Francesc Hernández. This will be followed by a conference entitled La reutilización en el marco de la economía circular: un desafío necesario (Reuse in the framework of the circular economy: a necessary challenge), with the participation of the Deputy Director General of Innovation Programmes of the Valencian Innovation Agency, Roberto Arnau; the Head of the Hydrological Planning Office of the Confederació Hidrogràfica del Xúquer, Teodoro Estrela; the Territorial Director of the Hidraqua company, Jordi Azorín; the Director of Institutional Relations of the Global Omnium company, Jaime Castillo; and the mayor of Riba-roja de Túria, Robert Raga Raga.

During the conference, successful experiences in the implementation of circular economy projects will be presented and a guide for financing initiatives in this area will be presented. It will also address the potential of reuse as an engine for transforming a productive economy and analyse its significant benefits for the environment and the welfare of society.

The raison d'être of the Chair is the confirmation of the growing scarcity of a basic resource such as water, accentuated in many areas such as the Valencian Community. This has serious effects on our environment and our economy. Hence, in addition to water efficiency measures, the reuse of treated wastewater should be addressed as a safe and viable means of increasing water supply by reducing pressure on already overexploited water resources. This calls for a reconsideration of our traditional approach to water consumption in order to adopt new strategies that enable this vital resource to be reused to the maximum. This paradigm shift involves moving towards a circular economy approach in which wastewater is no longer seen as waste, but as a valuable resource in a context of water scarcity.

The activities to be carried out by the new Chair in Economic Model Transformation: Circular Economy in the Water Sector will be: 1) Study and proposals for action on Circular Economy in the field of water resources in the Valencian Community; 2) Analysis of the actions to be developed from a transformative point of view of the current economic model of the Valencian Community; and 3) Encourage various activities such as public conferences, conferences, seminars, training and university extension activities, as well as other scientific activities that contribute to the dissemination of the results to be achieved.

The concept of circular economy focuses on the interaction of environmental and economic aspects in order to achieve a new model of society that uses and optimizes stocks and flows of materials, energy and waste. The aim is to ensure that the value of products, materials and resources (water, energy) remain in the economy for as long as possible and that waste generation is reduced to a minimum. In addition to the environmental benefits, this new activity generates wealth and employment allowing a valuable competitive advantage to be achieved in the various territories within a global economy. This is why the transition to a more circular economy offers great opportunities for business and society as a whole.