Nearly 270 participants from 34 countries took part in the 9th IAHR Europe Congress that took place in Luleå, Sweden from 9 to 12 June, 2026.  

The Congress provided a platform for researchers, engineers, practitioners and decision-makers to exchange knowledge and explore innovative solutions for a sustainable water future. Organised by Luleå University of Technology and IAHR’s Europe Division, the event brought together the international hydro-environment community under the theme: “Innovating Hydro-Environment Engineering for a Sustainable Future: Arctic Waters and Beyond.”  

The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks and contributions from Margareta Groth (Luleå University of Technology), IAHR President Philippe Gourbesville, IAHR Europe President Pawel Rowinski, and Elfithri Rahmah (UNESCO), highlighting the importance of strengthening collaboration between science, engineering and policy to address global water challenges. 

The Congress also welcomed a High-Level Panel with the theme “Science for Policy and EU Water-related Directives: Research & Innovation”. Joachim D'Eugenio, Policy advisor for the European Commission and Dr. Emanuele Quaranta, Scientific Officer for the European Commission Joint Research Centre introduced the topic of water-related EU policies and presented their views on the interactions between science and policymaking.  
 
The session also included a Panel Discussion under the theme “Science - Policy Interfaces in EU Water Management: Lessons and Needs from north to south in Europe” with Carina Christiansen as the moderator and IAHR President, Philippe Gourbesville, Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug (NTNU), Alessandro Rinaldi (Acquaenna), Petra Viklund (Lumire AB), Eva Sundin (Unit Hydro Nordic) and Emanuele Quaranta (European Commission Joint Research Centre) as the panelists.  
 
The panel discussion focused on translating cutting-edge research into policy-relevant evidence, identifying priority research and innovation needs, and strengthening the interface between scientists, regulators, and practitioners. 

 The Keynote Speakers

The 9th IAHR Europe Congress hosted three keynote lectures: 

• Tuesday, June 9 

• Pernille Erland Jenssen (Technical University of Denmark) on Water and Sanitation in Greenland 

• Patrick Huber (Hamburg University of Technology, Germany) on Nature’s Blueprint: Water-Enabled Functionality in Hierarchically Porous Materials 

• Thursday, June 11 

• Dag Avango (Lulea University of Technology) on Northern hydropower in Swedish Industrializations – Future Visions and Legacies 

 A wide-ranging technical programme

Over the following days, the Congress continued with technical sessions, panel discussions, master classes, technical visits, Young Professionals activities and opportunities to strengthen the dialogue between science, policy and practice around the following themes:  

1. Climate change adaptation and mitigation 

1. Dam safety 

2. Urban water systems including blue-green systems and spounge city concepts 

3. Advanced modelling approaches  

4. Green transition in hydro-environment engineering 

5. Urban snow management and cold region hydraulics 

6. Hydroenvironment 

7. Snow hydrology and impacts on reservoirs 

8. Ice research and engineering 

2. Water for the energy transition, food security and nature 

1. Efficient water use and water reuse 

2. Nature-based solutions for stormwater, greywater and wastewater 

3. Emerging pollutants 

4. Wastewater transport and treatment systems 

5. Enabling transition to the future urban water system 

6. Legislation 

7. Social acceptance 

8. Financial and economic sustainability 

9. Interdisciplinary approaches 

10. Food-water-energy nexus 

11. Ecological flows 

12. Biodiversity and fish migration 

13. Restoration 

14. Surface and groundwater hydraulics and hydrology 

15. River morphodynamics and sediment transport 

16. Reservoir sedimentation and sustainable sediment management 

17. Aquifer recharge and groundwater abstraction 

18. Dams hydraulic design and case studies 

3. Improving resilience against water hazards and disasters 

1. Decentralization for increased resilience 

2. Maintenance and asset management 

3. Preparedness of water and power systems 

4. Estuarine and coastal dynamics 

5. Coastal monitoring 

6. Protection, management and restoration of coastal systems 

7. Climate-resilient estuaries and coasts 

8. Ports and waterways design, Marine renewable energy 

9. Hydraulic design of bridges and protection measures 

10. Bridge scour and local scour assessment under extreme flows 

11. Sediment transport and river morphodynamics affecting bridge stability 

12. Flood risk management and multi-hazard interactions 

4. Digital transformation 

1. Computational methods in fluid dynamics hydroenvironmental problems, sediment dynamics & fluid-structure interactions 

2. Digital twins and cyber-physical systems – Simulation and hybrid forecasting 

3. Hydroinformatics 

4. Data science, machine learning and data analytics 

5. Big data instrumentation, experimental facilities and field experiments 

6. Emerging hydraulic measurement technologies and analysis methods 

7. Modelling and measurements in urban water systems 

8. Turbomachinery, turbines and pumps 

9. Design optimization 

10. Computational and experimental techniques 

11. Cavitation and multiphase flow 

12. Real-time monitoring and early-warning systems for bridge scour 

 Book of Abstracts

During the Congress, a broad range of topics were addressed, including new research findings, innovative technologies, and sustainable engineering practices aimed at protecting and developing water environments. The programme included keynote lectures, panel discussions, technical sessions, and interactive exchanges intended to encourage collaboration and stimulate new ideas. More specifically, it featured more than 190 scientific presentations, three keynote lectures, two high-level panel discussions, and two technical visits. 

The Book of Abstracts of the 9th IAHR Europe Congress can be found in the IAHR library

 IAHR Jirka Award 2026   

During the closing ceremony of the 9th IAHR Europe Congress the Chair of the congress, Staffan Lundström and the Chair of the Europe Division, Pawel Rowinski announced the winners of the 2026 Gerhard Jirka Award for Young Researchers which awards the best presentation given by a Young Professional during the biennial IAHR Europe Division Congress. The award was introduced at the 5th IAHR Europe Congress in Trento in 2018 and was created in memory of Prof. Gerhard Jirka.  

This edition winners were: 

• Matthijs den Dekker (Eindhoven University of Technology) for his presentation on Assessing the Impact of Flexibility on Hydraulic Machine Lifetime 

• Linus Kaminski (Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute Germany) for his presentation on Predicting Fish Impact Probability at Rubber Dams Through Numerical Simulation

More information can be found in the official announcement. 

 Celebrating Young Professionals during the 9th IAHR Europe Congress

The 9th edition of the European Congress in Luleå, Sweden, organised a series of activities to foster relationships between young professionals, as well as to help them explore their long-term career paths and gain honest, practical insights from experienced leaders.   

Academia, Industry and Policy: Navigating Career Paths as a Young Professionals  

A panel discussion titled “Academia, Industry & Policy: Navigating Career Paths as a Young Professional” was organised for early-career professionals who are exploring their long-term career direction and seeking honest, practical insights from experienced leaders. 

Moderated by Utsav Adhikari, the session brought together perspectives from academia, industry, and policy through a panel consisting of Prof. Elena Pummer (NTNU), Dr. Emanuele Quaranta (European Commission Joint Research Centre), and Magnus Lövgren (Vattenfall Vattenkraft AB). The discussion focused on career paths, daily work, impact, progression, and the skills needed to succeed in each sector.

Some key insights from the discussion included: 

• Policy and public-sector work often provide opportunities to influence decisions with broad societal impact. However, the work is strongly guided by established procedures, regulations, and institutional protocols. Scientific outputs are often valued based on how effectively they support policy development and decision-making. 

• Academia offers significant intellectual freedom and opportunities to explore new ideas, but career progression is closely linked to securing research funding, publishing, and building collaborations. Advancement pathways can vary considerably between universities and countries. 

• Industry was highlighted as being more focused on practical implementation, measurable outcomes, and shorter feedback cycles. Success is often tied to project delivery, operational performance, and creating tangible value for organizations and society. 

One of the audience questions focused on how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping career opportunities and daily work across academia, industry, and policy. The panelists noted that AI is increasingly becoming a powerful tool rather than a replacement for professionals. In academia, AI can support literature reviews, data analysis, and research productivity; in industry, it is being integrated into decision-making, optimization, and operational processes; while in policy, AI can assist with evidence synthesis and scenario analysis, although human judgment, transparency, and regulatory oversight remain essential. The panel emphasized that young professionals should develop AI literacy and learn how to use these tools effectively, while continuing to strengthen critical thinking, communication, and domain expertise. 

Overall, the session provided a candid and practical discussion that encouraged participants to reflect on their own career aspirations while appreciating the complementary roles of academia, industry, and policy in addressing societal challenges. 

Other Activities

• Young Professionals’ Night: the young attendees also had the opportunity to join a boat ride under the midnight sun for an informal and relaxed evening to meet their fellow young researchers and the YP network Scandinavia (now Nordic YPN).  

• Young Professional's Lunch - Collaboration in Hydro-Environmental research: During the last conference day, young professionals were also able to join a lunch with other young professionals for an interactive session focusing on strengthening collaboration within the field of hydro-environmental research. 

 Acknowledgements

IAHR extends its sincere thanks to Luleå University of Technology and the National Organization Committee for their outstanding work in hosting the Congress and for creating an inspiring platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange across the international hydro-environment community. As well as the International Scientific Committee and the IAHR Europe Division Leadership Team. 

 Related

Celebrating Young Professionals During the 9th IAHR Europe Congress
Europe Division
IAHR Gerhard Jirka Award for Young Researchers 2026 | 9th IAHR Europe Congress
Book of Abstracts of the 9th IAHR Europe Congress