BLUEWATERS was founded in 1997 in Vienna by Doris Wirth, a hydrogeologist. Starting as a one-woman office and working on complex environmental problems, she soon found it necessary to co-operate with a number of specialised experts. The private company now employs 10 permanent members of staff and about 150 freelance experts, contracted on a framework agreement. Most of the work focuses on technical assistance and consulting, as well as on project development in the new European democracies.
BLUEWATERS uses the advantage of having their headquarters in Vienna as a bridgehead to the Central and Eastern European countries. Most of our work is concentrated on Technical Assistance and Consulting, as well as Project Development in the New European Democracies. In 2000, BLUEWATERS s.r.o. was founded in Prague, Czech Republic, in which staff work on projects in environmental infrastructure.
From their subsidiary office in Graz, BLUEWATERS has been entering the South Eastern European market, namely Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Yugoslavia. In June 2002, BLUEWATERS d.o.o. was founded in Subotica, with three academics working on environmental infrastructure projects and on agricultural consulting issues in Vojvodina, Serbia.
At the beginning of 2002, a brand-new office was opened in F&#uuml;rstenwalde, Germany, right at the border to Poland. The staff at this office prepare trans-border initiatives in the environmental sector.
BLUEWATERS is also devoting particular attention to the arid zones of Africa, namely the countries Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. Staff provide professional assistance to the people and institutions in these regions in close co-operation with the local NGOs. The regional headquarters is located in Dakar, Senegal.