The Galician Innovation Centre for Advanced Water Treatment Systems (CIGAT) has just completed the market launch of an innovative technology for the treatment of special industrial wastewater.

The first application will be at the pharmaceutical multinational Sanofi, marking the first commercial use of a technology developed by this joint venture, which is being offered to domestic and international industrial clients.

This technology, patented by the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), co-developed by Cetaqua Galicia and licenced by the SUEZ Group, is designed for the treatment at source of industrial wastewater containing certain so-called emerging pollutants, before it is mixed with domestic wastewater. These emerging pollutants, found in hospital water and industrial water from chemical and pharmaceutical industries, have a potentially negative impact on health and the environment. They can cause problems in conventional treatment systems, which are not designed for them, hence treatment at source is more efficient in economic and environmental terms and avoids the need for greater investment in existing treatment plants.

Consisting of the company Viaqua and the Cetaqua Galicia technology centre, CIGAT is the only Galician joint venture in the field of water and the environment and was set up with the support of the Government of Galicia Department of the Economy, Enterprise and Industry through the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN). The main aim of the CIGAT joint venture is to reduce water contamination and protect and sustainably use Galician water resources, promoting the development and marketing of technologies that contribute to improving and recovering natural resources.

Since 2014, the Government of Galicia has supported the establishment of 24 joint ventures thanks to an investment of 23 million euros, mobilising a total of 84 million euros and creating over 360 highly qualified jobs. The main goals of this programme are to favour cooperation between companies and knowledge centres, boost transfer of R&D&I to Galician industry and attract foreign companies to Galicia with a long-term commitment to stay.

Development of this technology is an example of SUEZ’s commitment and investment in this type of open innovation model, showing it has the ability to develop innovative solutions. Development of new water treatment technologies requires time and efficient resource management if goals are to be met. Galicia, whose economy is closely linked to the quality of its water, has positioned itself at the forefront of treatment of emerging pollutants, thanks to the development of this product in the joint venture programme and its potential internationalisation through the SUEZ Group.