UPC's Barcelona School of Civil Engineering and Veolia School of Water will offer the first dual master's degree in Water Engineering. The collaboration focuses on training future engineers specialized in the sector by combining two learning environments: academic and professional.
The collaboration agreement between Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña - BarcelonaTech (UPC) and Veolia for the development and implementation of the dual master's degree in Water Engineering will respond to the growing demand for highly specialized professionals in the sustainable management of water and environmental resources. The agreement was formalized today, March 10, at Veolia's headquarters in Barcelona and was signed by Daniel Crespo, Rector of the UPC, and Manuel Cermerón, CEO of Veolia Spain. The event was also attended by Esther Real, Director of the Barcelona School of Civil Engineering; Martí Sánchez, Head of the Master's Degree; Montserrat Mora, Director of People and Organization at Veolia Spain; and Mònica Perez, Director of the Water School.
Rector Daniel Crespo states that "this master's degree is a key element in the UPC's future strategy, as the dual modality represents a significant advance in university education, providing our students with a comprehensive educational experience that combines the best of the academic and professional worlds. In the field of water and the challenges of climate change, the UPC has extensive academic and research experience."
Qualified profiles to face future challenges
Extended drought periods or torrential rains, which are increasingly frequent phenomena caused by climate change, highlight the need to address these challenges from an innovation perspective, investing in young talent as a highly valuable asset.
Rector Daniel Crespo states that "this master's degree is a key element in UPC's future strategy, as the dual modality represents a significant advance in university education, providing our students with a comprehensive educational experience that combines the best of the academic and professional worlds. In the field of water and the challenges of climate change, the UPC has extensive academic and research experience."
As Manuel Cermerón states, "This agreement reflects Veolia's commitment to excellent training and the promotion of talent in the environmental services sector, and particularly in water management as a strategic resource. We are convinced that this collaboration with the UPC will significantly contribute to the development of highly qualified professionals prepared to face future challenges in water management, complementing their training with internships at group companies, such as Aigües de Barcelona, among others.".
Specialization for multidisciplinary engineers
The dual master's degree in Water Engineering will begin in September 2025, with a training program that will delve into particularly relevant topics such as sustainable water management, the circular economy, innovation in environmental services, and the sector's necessary digital transformation.
It is aimed at professionals with a multidisciplinary background in the field of engineering and will enhance research, design, and analysis of infrastructure, modeling, and management projects. The objective is to train professionals who can advise the public and private sectors as experts in the sustainable management of water resources at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
The agreement between Barcelona School of Civil Engineering and the School of Water optimizes the dual strategy approach, combining training periods at the university with internships at group companies (Aigües de Barcelona, among others), where students will participate in real-life projects supervised by professionals from the entity.
Strategic alliance
According to Esther Real, director of the UPC School of Civil Engineering, "The collaboration with the School of Water reinforces the quality of training by integrating university knowledge with industry experience. This synergy is based on a relationship of more than 12 years between the two entities."
Since its creation in 2012, the Water School has become an educational benchmark with more than 25,000 enrolled students, promoting innovation and talent development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2024 alone, Veolia Spain hired 100 junior university graduates. The launch of the dual master's degree in Water Engineering responds to the official incorporation of the dual mention in university degrees by Royal Decree 822/2021, which allows us to offer a degree that combines academic experience with practical application in benchmark professional environments.
"We are committed to Veolia's future talent. This master's degree will allow us to attract the professionals who will lead the transformation of the water sector in the coming years, responding to the challenge of climate change," highlights Montserrat Mora, Director of People and Organization at Veolia Spain.
The initiative strengthens the innovative profile of the UPC and Veolia as members of the One Water consortium, which also includes the Port of Barcelona, Esade, and IHCantabria. This consortium has submitted its candidacy to become a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, with the aim of boosting the blue economy in Europe and developing innovative and sustainable solutions to ensure an efficient and responsible use of water. The creation of the dual master's degree places the UPC and Veolia in a key position within the consortium, strengthening their role in training new professionals and in applied research in the water and environmental sectors.