The Director General of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Cooperativism of the Valencian Government, Francisco Álvarez, has inaugurated the event that the firm has organized at Feria Valencia to present its new projects and solutions in the field of R&D&I.
Castellón, November 29, 2017 – New business management models, based on open innovation systems and new methods of professional cooperation, where internal knowledge is combined with external knowledge to boost talent, development and the opening of new lines of business, have been the focus of today's conference on Innovation and Knowledge Management Applied to the Integrated Water Cycle, organized by FACSA, the Spanish private company with the most experience in the management of the integrated water cycle, at Feria Valencia within the framework of the Efiaqua sector fair, in which it participates.
The event, which brought together numerous representatives from companies, universities, research centers, technology platforms, and leading startups, was opened by the Director General of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Cooperativism of the Valencian Government, Francisco Álvarez Molina, who emphasized the “need” to promote “a greater intersection of the social, economic and environmental spheres as a basis for promoting balanced sustainable development”, in addition to advocating for “an innovation model that guarantees greater business success, by being able to transform what already exists around us to improve it”.
For his part, the CEO of FACSA, José Claramonte, emphasized the company's innovative spirit., “which, with almost 145 years of history, currently manages a dozen R&D projects, which has allowed us to increase both our knowledge by opening ourselves to collaboration with external agents, and to promote new technological solutions, cutting-edge in their respective field of application”.
Innovation and disruption
The session, which consisted of four thematic blocks, first addressed the application of the culture of innovation to water management through three projects: Zero Brine, which brings to the sector a new circular economy approach based on the recovery of brines; Aquality, the European research network dedicated to the development of new hybrid technologies to eliminate emerging contaminants; and Hydres, which, through computational fluid dynamics, allows the optimization of the performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
In a second session, experts from FACSA and SITRA showcased the latest innovations applied to the complete water cycle, both in urban and industrial settings. These ranged from systems used for real-time monitoring of drinking water, wastewater, and sewage facilities to the implementation of remote meter reading, the installation of smart meters, and intelligent industrial water management.
The commitment to scientific and academic dissemination in the water sector has also been included in this day, through the FACSA Chair of Innovation in the Integrated Water Cycle, in collaboration with the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón; and the FACSA educational project 'The Course of Water', which in its first two years has raised awareness among more than 3,500 primary school students about the importance of making proper use of this resource.
A round table moderated by journalist Gemma Martínez, in which representatives of the startups Biótica, TECH4+ and Greene Waste To Energy shared their experiences as developers of innovative solutions applied to the water industry, closed the day, which was shut down by the general manager of SITRA, Ricardo Sáez.
“In addition to fostering innovation, research and knowledge exchange in the industry, the event has allowed us to analyze the opportunities that new technologies are opening up to achieve a more rational use of water, generate competitiveness and advance in new solutions to the most important challenges that the immediate future presents us,” the general manager of Sitra highlighted in this regard.
About FACSA
FACSA is the Spanish private company with the most experience in integrated water cycle management. Its innovative and technological approach has allowed the company to experience continuous growth since its founding in 1873. The incorporation of new technologies and proprietary developments position FACSA as a leader in its field. In fact, it is a pioneer among water sector companies in implementing and certifying its R&D&I system in Spain under the UNE 166.002 standard.
It currently has a staff of more than 900 people, is present in 7 autonomous communities and is in the midst of a national expansion process.
FACSA belongs to Grupo Gimeno, a diversified business holding company that operates in sectors such as environmental management, port logistics, construction, tourism and leisure, among others.
