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Water Alliance magazine

#2, 2022

FINAL BARRIER FOR ALL MICRO POLLUTANTS MILLIONS FOR WATER TECHNOLOGY EUROPEAN WATER TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2022

con tents

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colophon WaterProof is the magazine of the Water Alliance, a partnership between government, research institutions and industry in the field of innovative and sustainable water technology. From its base, the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden, the Water Alliance builds on the ‘water technology innovation chain’; a process whereby new ideas from universities, laboratories and test sites are converted into worldwide marketable products. WaterProof provides regional, national and global information on developments, results and background in the field of water technology.

EMI TWENTE EXPERT IN MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY

08 SEARIOUS INNOVATES

RAINMATE® BY BLUE INNOVATIONS WaterProof magazine 03_2021

IN TANNING FISH SKINS

Cover Photo Efe Kurnaz | unsplash.com Editor in Chief Menno Bakker Journal Management Menno Bakker,

Narvic Media | narvic.nl Translation

FINAL BARRIER FOR ALL MICRO POLLUTANTS

Presence Translate & Interact Graphic Design

EUROPEAN WATER TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2022

Jan Robert Mink | minkgraphics.nl Photography Nico Pakvis, Lucas Kemper and many others Printer

14 MILLIONS

FOR WATER TECHNOLOGY

and... 3 4 12 13 22

Column by Hein Molenkamp Short Cuts The Water Technology Innovation Chain Seven Questions for: Rudy Dijkstra Members of Water Alliance

Drukkerij Van der Eems

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column by Hein Molenkamp

Entrepreneurship By the time you read this, the summer will be fast approaching or may even already have begun. It is a summer that got off to a highly promising start for Dutch water technology in early spring, as the Dutch government announced in April that it is reserving 135 million euros from the National Growth Fund for innovative developments in water technology. This proposal came in response to the “De Blauwe Motor” [the blue engine] plan, a collaboration by numerous parties, including Water Alliance, Wetsus and other partners of the WaterCampus, aimed at using innovative water technology to address water shortage. Water shortage is a problem even in the relatively wet Dutch climate, but is felt around the world. By tackling the issues, the Dutch water technology sector can achieve a strong growth in exports. The amount mentioned is substantial, but that is relative, considering the challenges the world faces. To name just three: the aforementioned shortage of freshwater, population growth, and climate change. The Dutch water technology sector is developing solutions to those and other problems. The solutions are often so smart that they make production or purification processes more sustainable, more circular, and often energy neutral. They are spreading worldwide thanks to an excellent infrastructure of knowledge, innovation, government and business, and we would like to continue that. That makes ‘De Blauwe Motor’ an important plan. We discuss this in further detail elsewhere in this magazine. The infrastructure of knowledge, innovation, government and business is important, but I would like to emphasize the role of entrepreneurs, specifically, as they are the ones providing the initiatives and ideas. They are the ones taking the risk of putting hundreds of often unpaid hours into research and, sometimes, trial and error. Enjoy the read!

Hein Molenkamp Managing Director, Water Alliance

photo ©Marcel J. de Jong

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SHORT CUTS

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NEWSFROMTHEAROUNDTHE WORLDOFWATERTECHNOLOGY

BERGHOF MEMBRANES AND AQUAPORIN WELCOME WAFILIN SYSTEMS IN JOINT MEMBRANE VENTURE In order to collect testimonies to their new, jointly developed Berghof Hyperflux(TM) and Aquaporin Inside® food-ready Tubular Forward Osmosis (Food TFO) membranes and ultimately commercialize them, Berghof Membranes and Aquaporin are welcoming Wafilin Systems in a strategic alliance. Berghof Membranes (member of Water Alliance) is a leading German manufacturer of tubular membranes for the filtration and separation of process streams and wastewater. Aquaporin is a Danish water technology company specializing in biomimetic membranes. Both companies have worked intensively in the field of tubular forward osmosis for a long time. The latest Food TFO membranes are developed to comply with food contact material regulations, thus making them suitable for use in food and beverage processing to concentrate food products at lower temperature, with less energy,

Matt Boczkowski, CEO Aquaporin and Yunfeng Li, Commercial Director F&B Aquaporin.

and improved product quality. In order to align their technology even more successfully with market needs and commercialize their solution, Berghof Membranes and Aquaporin have decided to add Wafilin Systems (also a member of Water Alliance) to their strategic alliance. “We firmly believe that the Food TFO membrane we have developed with Aquaporin provides unique benefits, especially for the food and beverage industry”, says Berghof Membranes’ Managing Director Eric Wildeboer. “Therefore, we are happy to have Wafilin Systems onboard and look forward to strengthening our commercial efforts and making our technology even better by using the

testimonials and experiences that Wafilin Systems will collect from customers.” Wafilin Systems is a renowned membrane applications specialist that, for several years, has been successfully focusing on the food and dairy industries where forward osmosis technology is particularly beneficial. Evaporation, which has frequently been used up until now to process food and beverage products, not only requires a great deal of energy, but also evaporates valuable aromas, flavors, and nutrients, while concentrating on forward osmosis is efficient in terms of energy and costs without compromising quality

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SHORT CUTS NEWSFROMTHEAROUNDTHE WORLDOFWATERTECHNOLOGY

and taste. Thanks to the product quality being preserved during concentration, logistical and sustainability benefits can also be explored. “We are pleased to welcome Wafilin Systems to our close collaboration with Berghof Membranes”, says Matt Boczkowski, Aquaporin CEO. “The

goal of this expanded team is to utilize each other’s strengths to deliver a tailor-made solution to the food and beverage industry. With our solution, food and beverage manufacturers can offer innovative products while reducing their carbon footprint and optimizing transportation costs thanks to significantly reduced volumes.”

MORE NEWS ON WAFILIN SYSTEMS

from left to right: Erwin Dirkse, Jos van Dalfsen, Henk Schonewille, Harry van Dalfsen

In April it was announced that Jos van Dalfsen, together with Henk Schonewille, will form the new Board of Directors of Wafilin Systems. Over the coming months, Harry van Dalfsen will hand-over his operational role to his son Jos and will take on an advisory role within the company. Wafilin System also welcomes Erwin Dirkse as new shareholder and, together with Harry van Dalfsen, he will take a seat on the Advisory Board.

Jos van Dalfsen has been R&D Manager at Wafilin Systems since March 2018. He is looking forward to this new challenge: “Over the past couple of years, we have experienced strong development and growth. Developing unique applications that contribute to the optimization of and making the Food and Dairy industries more sustainable is incredibly inspiring. In my new role, I want to focus on continuing and rolling out our mission and strategy together with our team; that is a fantastic challenge”.

HYDRALOOP SCORES WITH CROWDFUNDING Hydraloop, a member of the Water Alliance, is maintaining strong growth. From its headquarters at WaterCampus Leeuwarden, the company aims to make the world more sustainable with an innovative, in-house water recycling system that collects, cleans and disinfects water from showers, baths and washing machines. The water can be reused for various purposes such as flushing toilets, washing clothes and gardening. Funding for international expansion was raised through the UK platform Crowdcube. Hydraloop’s proposition struck a chord. Its initial target was 3 million euros, but it raised 4.5 million euros from 1,300 investors within just a few days. Part of the plan for international expansion is to establish factories in several countries outside Europe to assemble water-saving systems. Hydraloop focuses on numerous countries and target groups, but new construction projects in dry countries with water scarcity are of particular interest. In 2018, Hydraloop won the WIS award, Water Alliance’s innovation award. The company went on to win various international awards and frequently made international headlines.

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EMI TWENTE EXPERT IN MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY EMI Twente offers research and testing to support companies with membrane development and application-related challenges. That can help companies take a big step in the valorization process. “Membrane technology is increasingly becoming a key technology for many markets”, says business developer Heleen Sombekke. EMI Twente originated from the Membrance Science & Technology cluster at the University of Twente.

Heleen Sombekke

‘We bring the commercial application of an idea closer’

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‘WE HAVE A FUN AND INSPIRING TEAM’ if the membrane is suitable for other applications”, says Sombekke regarding those improvements. “We investigate whether those opportunities exist.” According to Sombekke, there are an increasing number of application areas where membranes provide good functionality and benefits over traditional separation techniques. This includes challenges in areas such as water and energy. “Water includes the water cycle, resource recovery and energy production from wastewater. Energy challenges include energy production such as fuel cells and batteries, the electrification of the chemical industry and efficient energy use. Membranes are an excellent option for all these areas. Membranes are also often more favourable than traditional separation techniques, such as distillation, from an energy consumption point of view.”

Making a difference

“For a university, research usually stops at Technology Readiness Level 2: research into the innovative nature of an idea and the basic principles of innovation”, says Sombekke. “We go further than that. Our activities run up to level 6, which involves the extensive testing and demonstration of a concept in an appropriate test environment. The test environment resembles an operational environment that meets industry requirements, after which companies can scale up to commercialization. “We bring the commercial application of an idea closer.” The Technology Readiness Levels Heleen Sombekke mentions were once devised by NASA to indicate the development stage of new technology. Many European and national grants use

this model to indicate the phase of an innovation process for which a grant is intended.

Challenges

EMI Twente develops a wide variety of membranes—from polymeric and ceramic to hybrid membranes— for clients in various industries, including the chemical and petrochemical industry, the water sector (wastewater & drinking water), agro & food, healthcare, and energy production & storage. In addition to developing new membranes, the organization works to improve existing membranes, consultancy and application studies. “Say a company has a membrane for hydrogen electrolysis, for example, and they want to know

The EMI Twente team consists of fifteen people. Sombekke is enthusiastic about her colleagues. “We have a fun and inspiring team comprised of various nationalities, with knowledge and experience in almost all sub-fields in membrane technology. Since EMI Twente’s inception in 1995, we have completed hundreds of assignments for a wide range of primarily industrial clients.” When asked what part of her job she enjoys most, Sombekke doesn’t miss a beat. “A client who says, ‘you really made a difference.’ That may seem logical and obvious, but make no mistake: that pat on the back, that thumbs-up, has to be earned every time. It’s about making the most of our combined ability for the customer. I also like that, in this profession, you are dealing with content-driven people and working on something that matters— something good for people and nature.”

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tanning technology: fish skins as raw material for leather production

Searious innovates in tanning fish skins A FACT: THE SKIN OF FISH SUCH AS SALMON, COD OR HADDOCK IS AN EXCELLENT RAW MATERIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE LEATHER PRODUCTION. SEARIOUS, BY ENTREPRENEUR FOLKERT FENNEMA FROM BEETGUMERMOLEN (BASED IN LEEUWARDEN), HAS DEVELOPED A TANNING TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT CHROME, BRINE OR FUNGICIDES. IN COLLABORATION WITH WATER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY CIRTEC FROM PURMEREND, HE ALSO EXTRACTS REUSABLE WATER FROM HIS WASTE STREAMS.

Fish leather is nothing new—it has been around since humans began eating fish. However, by sustainably producing fish skin as a raw material and using it for leather products, it is no longer necessary to breed exotic animals, such as snakes, to that end. Fish skin is a byproduct of fish produced for human consumption anyway. Through its collaboration with CirTec, Searious can now also recycle the water used during the production process. The collaboration has only just begun; the two parties signed an agreement during the Aqua Nederland trade show in March of this year. “It is a great use of a residual product”, Fennema said. “I use the skin of fish that are consumed anyway.

Tanning is a discipline in its own right. I produce leather by cleaning the skin, removing the scales, and filling it with a tannin. The result is a highly supple and strong piece of leather. That can be dyed in all sorts of colors, but I don’t do that; my products go directly to the fashion industry in Italy.” Fennema sees other benefits of his method: “I tan without using chromium, brine or fungicides, so it’s sustainable. However, I did have wastewater, and I wanted to do something with that. That is where CirTec comes in.” “I wouldn’t call it wastewater, but rather residual streams”, says Coos Wessels of CirTec. “We work with those residual streams. We extract the water from the residual stream, which can be reused at

the beginning of the tanning process. It is a circular system.” There is still plenty to be done to market the idea en masse. Searious plans to build a prototype plant at its Leeuwarden location with all the process steps integrated on a representative scale this year. The project started in late 2021 and will be completed by mid-2023. The final plant will be completed shortly thereafter. Fennema: “I expect it to be widely adopted by the market within two years.” Searious BV has received grants from VIA Ontwikkelingsprojecten 2021 and the EFRO fund for the development of the prototype plant.

fig. a: Atlantic Salmon

fig. b: Atlantic Cod Fish

fig. c: Haddock

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FENNEMA: ‘I EXPECT IT TO BE WIDELY ADOPTED BY THE MARKET WITHIN TWO YEARS’

Folkert Fennema (l) and Coos Wessels with the signed collaboration agreement.

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nx filtration, van remmen uv and jotem water treatment join forces At the Asten wastewater treatment plant in the Netherlands, a pilot study has been performed with effluent polishing using a combination of nanofiltration and advanced oxidation. Water technology suppliers NX Filtration, Van Remmen UV-Technology, and Jotem Water treatment optimized the process to remove all remaining micropollutants, including medical residues, pesticides, and pathogens, at the lowest costs. The quality of the additional purified municipal wastewater meets almost all standards for drinking water, allowing for reuse in agriculture and industry.

FINAL BARRIER FOR ALL MICRO POLLUTANTS

‘This is about creating a new water resource’ 10

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“The combination of hollow fibre nanofiltration and UV oxidation adds value to wastewater”, says Ton Van Remmen, director of Van Remmen UVC. “It is no longer about wastewater treatment, but rather about the production of water for agriculture and industry. We optimized the complete process so we can now supply water for less than 50 eurocent per cubic meter.” According to Van Remmen, this marks the end of an era of treating municipal wastewater to meet discharge standards. “This is about creating a new water resource that can bring relief in water stressed areas, stopping ground water depletion, and decreaseing pollution of surface water, all at the same time”, he adds.

final barrier

Ton Van Remmen, director of Van Remmen UVC Photo: Dennis van den Worm

The use of nanofiltration is particularly striking because wastewater can quickly clog the fine pores of these membranes. Supplier NX Filtration developed hollow fiber membranes that have a special nano coating on the inside that rejects almost all micropollutants, bacteria, viruses, and micro plastics. Despite the challenging conditions to treat WWTP-effluent, the nanofiltration membranes continued to perform for weeks without the need for chemical cleaning. NXF Filtration produces nanofiltration membranes with different pore sizes. These different pores sizes were used during the pilot study to optimize the treatment process. The pore size has a direct effect on the second part of the combination, the advanced oxidation using UV-C light and hydrogen peroxide. Fewer remaining pollutants from the nanofiltration resulted in a highly transparent water stream. This allowed the breakdown of any remaining substances and improved the energy efficiency of the UV-light significantly. Van Remmen, NX Filtration, and Jotem managed to optimize the treatment process using as little energy as possible. Pre-treatment with nanofiltration resulted in

75 percent less energy use for the oxidation step.

medical residues Today, most effluent polishing at municipal water treatment plants is done with sand filtration, activated carbon, or oxidation using ozone. The main objective is generally to remove nutrients and medicine residues. Results so far show that up to 70 percent of certain medical residues can be removed this way. This new combination of nanofiltration and advanced UV-oxidation has proven to reach removal rates up to 95 percent. Additionally, it removes microplastics, heavy metals, colorants, bacteria, and PFAS. The trials at WWTP Asten will continue to verify the first results and help with finding out more about the removal of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Meanwhile, the owner of the WWTP, the regional water authority Aa en Maas, will concentrate on finding nearby industrial customers for the treated wastewater. The effluent is now discharged in a local stream whereas it can be supplied at almost drink water quality for less than 50 eurocents per cube. “We have proven the technical feasibility. Now it is up to utilities, agriculture, and industrial water users to invest in water re-use”, Van Remmen concludes.

Process control of the advanced oxidation to break down the remaining pollutants that pass the nanofiltration membranes.

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The Water Technology Innovation Chain

The WaterCampus brings together a complete chain of innovation for water technology, from first idea, research, specialized laboratories, various demo sites, launching customers to commercial international applications by commercial companies. Indeed from knowledge to business. It is driven by the idea that technological development and innovation is needed to develop new markets andcreate new business opportunities.

COOPERATION

CE IEN SC

MATCHMAKING

MARKET DEMAND

BUS INE SS

EXPORT

APP

RESEARCH LIE D R E S E A R C H

WATER APPLICATION CENTER

LAUNCHING CUSTOMER DEMO SITES

IDEAS

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Hein Molenaar (left) and Rudy (middle), Water Alliance’s

e Robbert Lodewijks in Singapor

7 Questions for Rudy Dijkstra Who are you, and what do you and your company do?

I am Rudy Dijkstra, CEO of Acquaint. Acquaint develops hardware and software to determine the quality of drinking water and wastewater pressure lines and predict when they will fail.

Why is that good for the world? Anticipating ageing infrastructure is the top priority for the Western world. Consider this: somewhere between thirty and sixty per cent of all drinking water produced is lost to leakages during transportation or distribution. That problem is only going to get worse as water scarcity increases. We can prevent new leaks and increase the efficiency of the available personnel.

Can you name two examples where your involvement in the Water Campus has been good for you? Acquaint owes a lot to Wetsus’ Smart Water Grids research theme. We are actively participating in four ongoing studies here. We also regularly work with the Water Alliance when it comes to export.

‘We work with the Water Alliance when it comes to export’ You heard via an online connection that you had won the Leeuwarder HET entrepreneurial prize while in Singapore. How was that? ‘Út de skroeven’, as they say in Friesland. It was three in the morning here, and we were anxiously waiting for the announcement. There was an incredible surge of emotion when we finally heard we had won.

Let your business desires run wild for a moment: where will you be in three years? We will be active on every continent.

You recently travelled to Singapore with the Water Alliance. What was your goal? Our goal was market exploration and orientation regarding potential operating partners, as well as holding talks with water companies from Asia and the Pacific.

How do you look back on it? It was highly successful. We had good meetings with concrete results that exceeded our expectations. I definitely expect to come back here. The Water Alliance also introduced us to the Water Company of Singapore, which was very inspiring!

Acquaint’s Douwe Kooistra (left) receiving the HET prize from alderman Abel Reitsma. Photo Simon v.d. Woude

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The Netherlands and water are inextricably linked, but water availability is a major challenge worldwide and technological innovations can provide solutions. This was the underlying reason for ‘De Blauwe Motor’ [the blue engine]—a consortium of numerous Dutch parties, including WaterCampus partners such as Wetsus, Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) and Water Alliance— to submit a ‘Water Technology Growth Plan’ to the Dutch government. In late April, the Dutch government demonstrated that it also takes the challenges, social relevance and economic opportunities very seriously. The decision was made to set aside 135 million euros of the ‘National Growth Fund’ for the water technology growth plan. 14

Jantienne van der Meij Photo Lucas Kemper

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working hard for water availability

Millions for water technology “For the record, a reservation has been made”, emphasizes Water Alliance director Hein Molenkamp. “In the coming months, it will become clearer if, how and where the money will actually be spent.” But first, let’s briefly explain the core idea of the Water Technology Growth Plan: joining forces in the Netherlands to maintain sufficient clean water for consumers, businesses, agriculture and nature. The plan covers the entire ecosystem, from research, development and implementation to national and international valorization. The requested adjustments and supporting documentation will be delivered In the coming period to enable the definitive award, which is expected by the end of this year.

at the drawing board together Parties such as KWR, Stowa, Waterschap Vechtstromen, TKI Watertechnologie, and Royal HaskoningDHV are actively involved, along with Wetsus, the CEW, Centre of Expertise Water Technology and Water Alliance, all three of which operate from WaterCampus Leeuwarden. This level of broad collaboration is unique, according to Jantienne van der Meij, director of the Topconsortium voor Kennis en Innovatie (TKI) Watertechnologie earlier. “In the Netherlands, the water sector has traditionally been divided among many parties. Water suppliers, businesses, research institutions and governments can improve their cooperation further. If we are serious about tackling increasing drought and water pollution, we must develop integrated solutions. By taking a seat at the drawing

board together at an early stage, we can achieve sustainable, circular and, in turn, future-proof water availability from which the sector can also earn a good living through exports.” The urgency to start such an impressive collaborative venture is great, according to Van der Meij. “Water shortages are becoming more common due to climate change, increasing water demand and pollution. Industrial companies face cooling water shortages, and farmers face soil dehydration or groundwater salinization, and nature suffers more and more from the declining water level.” The Water Technology Growth Plan contains large and small-scale solutions for all these problems. Solutions include efficient use of water in production processes, early detection of leakage in pipelines, or recovery of residues, energy and water. Another key aspect is the relevance to and proper coordination with other sectors, such as agriculture, horticulture, food, health and energy. Molenkamp explains why this overarching approach is important. “Water is vital for everyone. Water shortage affects all sectors, so it’s fantastic that this is being approached from such an overarching angle. Not only to solve the problem faster, but also to improve the international marketing of the combined knowledge and expertise our knowledge institutions and companies have to offer.”

from knowledge to cash Export opportunities are looming on the horizon, according to the Water Alliance director: “Government, knowledge institutions and businesses

will strike gold if they continue to work together systematically. WaterCampus Leeuwarden is a good example of that. This ambitious Water Technology Growth Plan will also lead to solutions to challenges that other countries are struggling with, making it an important stimulus for economic growth and export opportunities in the Netherlands. It creates additional employment, secures the business climate for companies, and presents opportunities for the export-oriented Dutch water technology sector. The involvement of market participants in the broad coalition secures the flow from knowledge to skill to cash.”

NATIONAL GROWTH FUND The National Growth Fund (NGF) is an initiative by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change and the Ministry of Finance. The fund is intended to make public investments that contribute to the sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands. The National Growth Fund was established in 2020 and is intended for one-off public investments. The government is allocating €20 billion for projects between 2021 and 2025 as part of the National Growth Fund. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK: DEBLAUWEMOTOR.NL

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new member

John van de Wetering and his Rainmate®

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rainmate® by blue innovations: collecting rainwater in building facades

Reduced flooding and heat stress, more urban greenery

The Netherlands

Batenburg

John van de Wetering and his company, Blue Innovations (based in the village of Batenburg, near Nijmegen), are investigating the possibilities of storing and utilizing rainwater in building facades in cities. This will protect against the risks of flooding while offering interesting opportunities to make buildings more attractive and improve the quality and livability of public spaces. Around 40% of the surface area of Dutch cities is built up, according to Van de Wetering. The natural infiltration capacity of inner cities is limited, and cities warm up faster and cool down slower. “With higher temperatures and more rainwater, waterlogging and heat stress are becoming increasingly problematic. Buildings are the main cause of climate change’s impact in cities.” Blue Innovations devised a system that turns the problem into an opportunity. “If you can store and utilize rainwater runoff from building roofs in the facade of those buildings, it provides cooling and protection from the risks of flooding. It also offers interesting opportunities to make buildings more attractive through green facades, improving both the quality and livability of the public space. Cities have relatively little room for more greenery, but building facades still offer ample opportunity for a lot of additional square meterage of urban greenery.”

out of the box Rainmate® is Blue Innovations’ innovation to enable rainwater storage

in and permanent greening of facades. The system is interesting for both new and existing buildings, states Van de Wetering. “The options for good solutions for existing structures are often too expensive and complicated. The system we have developed is quite the opposite.” The system, he continues, is the result of out-of-thebox thinking. His different way of thinking stems from his education in architecture and urban design at TU Delft. “I looked at the problem from the perspective of a designer. Instead of expensive technology, I envisioned a simple solution applicable to many buildings. That was the approach.” He is now discussing pilots of the system with the municipality of Rotterdam. Van de Wetering hopes to find partners who can integrate his technology into their systems. “Our ambition is not to build green facades ourselves—that’s a skill in itself.”

quality of life

animals. Patients recover faster in a green environment, residents of green neighbourhoods use health care facilities less often, employees of businesses in green environments feel more comfortable, and a network of urban greenery is good for biodiversity. Van de Wetering argues for a common plan in light of these different qualities. “It is important for the greening of cities that the chain of water managers, developers, architects and businesses realize that greenery is essential to the quality of life in a city and that you can enhance it through smart storage and smart use of rainwater.” What he loves about being an entrepreneur and scientist is translating a somewhat abstract idea into a concrete answer to a social problem. “It is a combination of thinking and doing. I find it fascinating. It is extremely satisfying when your search finally leads to technology that makes something new possible.”

In addition to greenery’s contribution to water balance and ambient temperature, research shows that a green environment also increases the quality of life for people and

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impressive programme in leeuwarden from 19 to 22 september

don’t miss this!

EUROPEAN WATER TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2022 The second European Water Technology Week (EWTW 2022) has been eagerly awaited by many in the water technology world and is approaching fast. Scientists, entrepreneurs, innovators, various international cluster organisations and the government will gather in Leeuwarden from 19 to 22 September for a programme that can best be described as impressive. EWTW 2022 includes the Wetsus Congress 2022, a meeting of the Global Water Tech Hub Alliance, an international business programme (initiated by Water Alliance) and a networking floor where companies can present themselves. ‘At the EWTW, companies, knowledge institutes and governments from all over the world come together to discuss innovation in water technology,’ explains Johannes Boonstra, managing director of Wetsus (the ‘European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology,’ ed.). Hein Molenkamp from the Water Alliance adds: ‘The previous edition attracted over 1,000 participants from 35 countries with varying backgrounds; an extremely interesting network.’ Jeroen Rijnhart, director of the Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW), is also enthusiastic about the broad support base. ‘Researchers, technology developers, end users and policy makers from all over Europe come together at the EWTW: a fantastic group of people.’ Boonstra emphasises the extensive programme and international character of the event. ‘The conference programme is broad and focuses on innovation—from science to business development—as well as on talent development and policy for societal challenges. Companies will also be able to meet on the

networking floor, which will have the feel of a trade fair environment. Conference attendees will be able to network and exchange knowledge with exhibitors.’ The Wetsus director says that after two years of corona it is high time to meet, talk and inspire each other again. ‘A lot of people have missed exchanging knowledge and ideas. And also maintaining and expanding their networks.’ Hein Molenkamp, director of Water Alliance, fully agrees. ‘The water technology sector is a world full of innovation. And that’s desperately needed if we are to meet the global challenges of increasing water scarcity. Making processes more sustainable often involves major investments. It is, therefore, essential that the parties know and trust each other. For that reason alone, it is good that we can meet face to face again. The 2022 edition will also have many participants from cluster organisations around the world who are interested in Dutch innovations and companies.’ Rijnhart also sees a good opportunity for ‘his’ CEW: ‘CEW

is the link between theory and practice and, therefore, fits in very well at EWTW. Companies that see opportunities in the scientific discoveries that are presented at EWTW can approach us directly to set up practical research.’

Be a part of EWTW2022. Sign up here!

‘The conference programme is broad and focuses on innovation’

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european water technology week 2022

A SELECTION FROM THE PROGRAMME Updates to the programme, plus all of the latest information on locations, accommodation and much more, can be found on the EWTW website (the link is below this article, ed.). Here is a summary of the programme: Monday, 19 September sees the kick-off of the EWTW. The Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers, and Thecla Bodewes, chairman of Water & Maritime Top Sector will be among those present at the kick-off on Monday, 19 September. Also on Monday: the presentation of the ‘Marcel Mulder Award’. This prize from Wetsus honours the professor of Sustainable Water Technology and Membrane Technology at the University of Twente, who passed away far too soon in 2002. Mulder was the initiator of Wetsus. In his memory, an annual prize is presented to the Wetsus researcher who has delivered the most extraordinary performance in the field of water technology in the past year. The afternoon programme includes: Connecting international clusters and innovations and the pitches for the WIS Award, the innovation stimulation prize from the Water Alliance. The public prize will be announced, and the WIS Award final will take place on Wednesday afternoon.

such as Smart Dehydration & Food Technology, Social Sciences & Water, Soil Biome, Policy Developments to Prevent the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance, Natural Water Production, Colloid Physics in Water Technology and Nano Plastics & Plastic Recyclers.

Tuesday, 20 September offers a full programme of plenary sessions and parallel sessions on topics

Updates? Visit: ewtw2022.eu

Wednesday, 21 September will see a range of topics in which water technology and business intersect. Topics include: antibiotic resistance and biodegradable plastics. Also on Tuesday: the finals of Wetskills Nederland 2022, where students and young professionals solve a water challenge, and the finals of the WIS Award 2022. Something else worth mentioning: the organisation is currently working hard to put together an interesting excursion programme on Thursday, 22 September for EWTW guests who wish to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know extremely interesting locations, innovations and the people behind all these developments while you are here.

‘The previous edition attracted over 1,000 participants from 35 countries’ 19

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EUROPEAN WATER TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2022 CONNECTING GLOBAL WATER TECH HUBS 19-22 SEPTEMBER 2022 WESTCORD WTC LEEUWARDEN THE NETHERLANDS

EWTW2022.EU 20

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Water Alliance members

HYDRALOOP SMART WATER SAVING

hydroSource

maatwerk in water

SYSTEMS

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