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Novatech

What is Novatech? 

For an integrated management of urban water 

The intensification of urban development and uncertainties surrounding climate change make stormwater management a major issue in land use planning, requiring innovative responses based on the latest research findings and practicies tested in the field.


Novatech is an international conference on strategies and solutions for sustainable urban water management, with a focus on urban stormwater. It aims to bring together different approaches and encourage dialogue between all stakeholders on new knowledge, thinking and innovations. 

It has been organized in Lyon every 3 years, since 1992. In 2026, Novatech is co-organized by Graie, OTHU (Field Observatory for Urban Water Management) and the Metropole of Lyon.

A bilingual event

French and English are the two official languages.

Simultaneous translation is provided in both languages for all sessions and during technical tours.

What does Novatech offer?

Novatech brings together professionals
from a  diverse range of disciplines

Practitioners, scientists, and decision-makers from France and around the world come to Novatech to present and learn about the latest innovations and research, and to share their technical and strategic experiences.

Their work combines to build a better understanding of how to better manage and design - or even better - regulate and support, changes in practices.
Novatech opens the door 
to a shared culture around urban water

Through a number of exciting keynote speakers, including urban planners and architects, to build the link between a city’s form, infrastructure and its water.

Reaching out to new audiences and building relationships, with a focus on start-up projects (and particularly on young researchers) and knowledge transfer (facilitators and trainers).
Novatech builds bridges between disciplines and approaches

By welcoming water professionals (e.g. specialists in drainage and aquatic environments), urban planning and design professionals (e.g. urban planners and designers, strategic planners, architects, landscape architects, sociologists), Novatech helps in building a more integrated water management culture, contributes to knowledge sharing and encourages the evolution of practice in all disciplines involved in managing water in the urban landscape.


Previous editions

Find the proceedings of the latest edition of Novatech on Graie website and all papers and posters from Novatech previous six editions (2007-2023) on HAL website.