Olivier Sarlat new president of the Aqua-Valley competitiveness cluster, “the beating heart of solutions for the water sector”

Olivier Sarlat est le nouveau président du pôle de compétitivité Aqua-Valley. MAXPPP – MICHEL CLEMENTZ

"At a time when the Occitanie and South regions are exposed to the acceleration of extreme climatic events, it is becoming urgent that strong messages on the issue of water resources be conveyed& quot;, affirms the Aqua-Valley competitiveness cluster of which Olivier Sarlat has just been elected president.

During the board meeting of March 1, 2024, Olivier Sarlat was elected president of the Aqua-Valley competitiveness cluster. With the new office, the objective is to make it the essential player in innovation solutions to meet the challenges of water resources among the population, elected officials and the economic world. The new team wishes to support the territories towards their “water transition”, according to three fundamental principles. 

First of all, water is not an inexhaustible resource, it is the first significant element that affects populations and the economic development of territories. Then, it is necessary to move from a sobriety which is imposed on everyone to a true efficiency of uses to avoid conflicts. Finally, bringing together private actors and the academic world will promote innovations making it possible to control the effects of climate change on water resources.

Aged 51, Olivier Sarlat is the director of the Southern region of Veolia's water activities where he manages nearly 800 employees. An engineer in hydraulics and fluid mechanics from ENSEEIHT (Toulouse) and holder of an intra-company MBA from HEC, Olivier Sarlat occupies positions of responsibility in the healthcare sector. water for 26 years. He has developed valuable experience from design to construction and management of infrastructure and water treatment units.

Making Occitanie a true land of experimentation

By bringing together the academic world and the business world, Olivier Sarlat wishes to make Aqua-Valley the reference in the field of water in the territories, in France and internationally. With its board of directors, it aims to promote the Occitanie and South territories to make them real areas for experimenting with all innovation solutions. "I believe in our common passion and in the energy of our collective to make the Aqua-Valley Cluster the beating heart of solutions for the water sector. It is the crucible in which the activity of our 250 members can develop in our territories, in France and internationally. I appreciate the honor and the responsibility that falls to me. I would like to warmly thank Jean-Luc Erbetta, president since December 14, for his unfailing involvement. Its action proved decisive in the reorganization of governance and the revitalization of innovation for the benefit of the members of our competitiveness cluster."  

A team serving a territory

Olivier Sarlat  will be accompanied&eac;  by the elected office by the board of directors:

Marie-Armelle Bories(DRALAM Technologies), general secretary.

Gauthier Poudevigne (IMECA Process), treasurer.

Christophe Audouin (Suez), vice-president institutional relations, attractiveness and radiation.

Jean-François Blanchet (BRL), vice-president of strategic orientations.

Sami Bouarfa(INRAE), vice-president Innovation.

André Durbec (EA éjoint ventures), vice-president ecological and digital transition.

Laurent-Emmanuel Migeon(Bio-UV), vice-president economic performance.

Jean-Marc Philip (SCP), vice-president Europe and international.

Nicolas Roche (Aix-Marseille-Université), vice-president research and training.

About the Aqua-Valley cluster

The Aqua-Valley cluster brings together a network of 250 members (companies, research and training organizations, associations) mainly located in the Occitanie/Pyrenees-Mediterranean region and the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, which notably presents the ;rsquo;one of the highest concentrations of researchers and companies in the water field.

The objective of the Aqua-Valley cluster is to contribute to the growth of VSEs and SMEs-SMIs through innovation, the animation of business networks and actors, the pooling of resources and the implementation of collective actions covering all professions and the water cycle.

Aqua-Valley, with its partner Éa eco-enterprises in the South region, promotes all sectors of the water sector, in a regional economic development approach. The cluster supports its members on issues of market development, innovation, skills consolidation, partnerships and internationalization.

In synergy with the Aquanova cluster, the Aqua-Valley cluster makes it possible to better support the innovation and growth objectives of players in the water sector in France, Europe and internationally and to develop a better interface with institutional actors at these three levels.

The Aqua-Valley competitiveness cluster operates in partnership with the Éa eco-enterprises cluster, which brings together 162 eco-enterprises working on the subjects of water and ecological and energy transitions in the South region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.