Andrea Tilche obtained his Doctor Degree in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Milano in 1978. His scientific career was mainly carried out in Italy where he set-up and directed the wastewater treatment laboratories of ENEA in Bologna, working on advanced anaerobic treatment and biological nutrient removal technologies. In 1998 he moved to the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra as Head of the Water Research and Monitoring Unit, and later moved to Brussels to lead the Water Key Action of the 5th Framework Programme. He is presently Head of the Unit “Climate Action and Earth Observation” in DG Research & Innovation. In this position, he is in charge of drafting European research programmes in the field of climate change and earth observation, and of managing their execution.