News
– This strategic alliance will position the Valencian Community at the forefront of innovation to meet local needs and those arising from the current climate and water emergency
– Its Advisory Board brings together the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which is already present in all Cetaqua centres, the Universitat Politècnica de València, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), the Universitat d’Alacant, ValgrAI, Labaqua and Aguas de Alicante
The Valencian innovation ecosystem now has a new driving force: Cetaqua is opening a delegation in the Valencian Community. This new milestone is the result of more than a decade of collaboration between Cetaqua and Hidraqua, a company that manages all the processes related to the complete water cycle in the territory, in RDI projects to meet the needs of the territory and those arising from the current context of climate and water emergency.
Cetaqua is a water technology centre of international reference, leader in carrying out European RDI projects, with offices in Catalonia, Andalusia, Galicia and Chile. It has over 15 years’ experience in the development and implementation of RDI solutions applied to the water sector and the environment.
This delegation will position the Valencian Community at the forefront of innovation, through close collaboration with the local ecosystem. Cetaqua collaborates with a powerful network of universities, technology centres, start-ups and companies at both national and international levels that allow it to be a leader in innovation in the water sector at European level.
Cetaqua’s delegation in the Valencian Community also aims to help generate large innovation projects that can offer solutions to help improve water and environmental management in the priority sectors of territorial activity in the Valencian Community, such as tourism, industry and agriculture.
In addition, this Cetaqua delegation will work on the co-creation of new digital solutions that will be implemented through the network of Dinapsis centres in the Valencian Community.
Javier Anguiano, Operations Manager for Valencia and Castellón, will be Cetaqua’s delegate in the Valencian Community and will coordinate innovation projects and initiatives linked to the water technology centre in the region. Likewise, in order to guide the innovation strategy, an Advisory Board has been created, composed of Manuel Pulido, full professor of Water and Environment, director of the IIAMA-UPV, and coordinator of Institutos Universitarios de Investigación; Ana Cidad, Managing Director of the ValgrAI Foundation; Angel Robles, professor and Vice-Dean of the School of Engineering and Researcher in the UPV-UV CALAGUA Group at the Universitat de València; Armando Ortuño, full professor of Territory, Transport and Environment in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Universitat d’Alacant; Fernando González-Candelas, full professor of Genetics, principal investigator in the Evolution and Health Research Group at the Universitat de València, FISABIO Foundation; Tonia Salinas, Managing Director of the UMH Foundation, Manager of the UMH Science Park, UMH Foundation, UMH; Juan Fuster, CSIC delegate in the Valencian Community; Iñaki Casals, Innovation Director at Aguas de Alicante, and Adela Yañez, Innovation Director at Labaqua.
This Advisory Board responds to challenges such as:
● The quality of water resources in the Valencian Community, which, like the rest of the territory, is affected by the overexploitation of aquifers, marine intrusion and pollution due to excess nutrients.
● Efficient and sustainable water management ensuring both the quantity and quality of water resources, which is so important for the development of activities such as tourism and agriculture.
● Water resilience, and management of droughts and floods that are so common in the Valencian Community and that have impacts on economic activity and infrastructures.
● The promotion of the circular water economy to generate economic opportunities and reduce pressure on water resources.
This Advisory Board brings together the experience of Cetaqua, in the field of innovation, and Hidraqua, together with the knowledge of representatives from the academic and scientific world. Included are entities such as the CSIC, an essential governing body in Cetaqua’s structure, as well as the Universitat de València, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Universitat d’Alacant. Likewise, entities such as ValgrAI, Labaqua and Aguas de Alicante have joined the Advisory Board as key agents of innovation in the Valencian Community.
The first meeting of the Advisory Board, held at Dinapsis Valencia, marks the beginning of an effective collaboration for the development of local RDI projects with direct application to the water challenges of the region and its companies. In the coming months, new meetings will be held and collaborative initiatives led by this Advisory Board will be launched.
