Innovation must be collaborative and involve both stakeholders in the production sector and knowledge generators in the areas of science and technology. This was the central theme of the latest Levante EMV breakfast meeting, where Elena Zuriaga, R&D&I technician at FACSA, has been one of the protagonists.
The event was held at Nomadom Coworking Paseo Ruzafa and is part of a series of conferences organized by the media outlet to promote the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. This particular conference focused on goal number 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
During the meeting, the speakers agreed that it is vital to strengthen a collaborative ecosystem with universities, businesses, and social organizations. In this regard, FACSA It has been an example through student training and the two university chairs it holds, a way of networking to promote innovation. Zuriaga also urged that technological advancements be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through water reuse and the promotion of the circular economy. In this regard, she explained that FACSA is involved in a water reuse project in the ceramics industry. “We must promote the circular economy and reuse water; in our case, we aim to recover nutrients and ensure that sludge is not waste but a resource,” she noted.
On the other hand, she emphasized the importance of skilled employment for innovation, citing as an example the analysis of wastewater to detect COVID-19 levels carried out during the pandemic. Finally, Zuriaga described the arrival of European recovery funds as a great opportunity to promote the circular economy.
The information breakfast – sponsored by FACSA along with the Port Authority of Valencia, Caixa Popular, and the Network of Technological Institutes (Redit) – also included the participation of Andrés García Reche, executive vice president of the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI); Gonzalo Belenguer, general manager of Redit; Salvador Furió, director of Innovation and Cluster Development at the Valencia Port Foundation; Fran Machado, representative of the Corporate Banking area of Caixa Popular; and Gema Roig, coordinator of European innovation projects at Las Naves.
