Europe accelerates water digitalisation: AI and smart technologies in the spotlight

The European Commission is taking another step towards a more digital and resilient European water sector.

In May 2026, the Commission launched a call for evidence to support the development of an EU-wide Action Plan on digitalisation in the water sector, one of the flagship initiatives of the European Water Resilience Strategy. The future plan aims to support data-driven water management and facilitate wider deployment of technologies including artificial intelligence, IoT, smart sensors and smart meters.

The initiative reflects a growing recognition that digital technologies can help utilities better understand infrastructure performance, identify risks and make more informed operational decisions.

These priorities strongly resonate with the research underway in PIPEON. The EU-funded project is developing autonomous robotic systems capable of inspecting and maintaining sewer networks, supported by advanced sensors, AI-powered data analysis and digital twin technologies. One of its objectives is to help utilities shift from reactive interventions towards predictive maintenance based on better infrastructure data.

For underground wastewater infrastructure, where visibility is often limited, digitalisation could be particularly transformative. Combining robotics with continuous sensing, AI and predictive models could allow utilities to detect defects earlier, optimise inspections and better anticipate infrastructure failures.

As Europe develops its digital water agenda, PIPEON is contributing research into what a more intelligent, autonomous and data-driven approach to sewer management could look like.