The Eurecat technology centre is partnering the European B-WaterSmart project to develop and demonstrate smart technologies and large-scale circular economy approaches for better water use.
The project is designed to fast-track the transition to smart water economies and societies across coastal Europe by reducing freshwater abstraction, improving resource recovery and reuse, and increasing water use efficiency.
It taps a large-scale systemic innovation approach to choose, connect and demonstrate a customised suite of technology, management and smart data solutions for numerous water uses and industries while crafting new business models drawing on the circular economy and smart water.
Methodologies, tools and processes will also be devised as part of the project to enable safe use of alternative water sources such as reused water in order to “deliver solutions to cities in response to the challenges of climate change and water scarcity,” says Xavier Martínez Lladó, director of Eurecat’s Water, Air and Soil Unit.
The research is based on specific challenges in six European coastal cities and regions in Alicante (Spain), Bodo (Norway), Flanders (Belgium), Lisbon (Portugal), East Friesland (Germany) and Venice (Italy) where case studies will be conducted.
“The water cycle is a holistic system of nature, technology and society,” argues project coordinator David Schwesig. “In partnership with a number of stakeholders, we are jointly developing and testing innovative solutions at six sites called Living Labs spread across Europe. They are designed to support water utilities and local councils in making their water systems and services sustainable, water-smart and more resilient to climate change.”
The Eurecat technology centre’s Water, Air and Soil Unit is to take part in the Alicante case study by providing expertise and solutions for recovering ammonium by membrane distillation. Eurecat’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Unit is also setting a framework for the more than twenty digital tools involved in the project and used in the six Living Labs to enhance interoperability between industry players and thus step up their impact.
The B-WaterSmart project is coordinated by IWW Water Center (Germany) and includes 36 partners from eight countries with funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.
