Six months after the agreement between Smat, Hera and Iren, which gave way to the unified direction for a significant collaboration activity between the respective research centres, the alliance is taking its first operational steps. This is the first experience in Italy of collaboration on applied research and innovation between leading companies in the sector.
The first 9 projects were presented today in a press conference at the SMAT Research Center, which was attended by: the Mayor of Turin Piero Fassino, the Smat President Alessandro Lorenzi, the Central Innovation Director of the Hera Group Salvatore Molé, the President Iren Francesco Profumo and the Chief Executive Officer Smat Paolo Romano.
9 projects, over 1,2 million euros of investments and 21 researchers
The new projects have as a common denominator the industrial development of techniques and systems for optimizing the efficiency of networks and plants, reducing their management costs, and for refining the treatments and control systems of the distributed water resource. They will focus on developing sophisticated online control techniques and water monitoring. In particular, innovative systems will be studied to reduce the environmental impact of the purification and purification of waste water, smart methods for disinfection in distribution (with controlled dosage and alerts in the event of contamination), real-time analysis systems of the quality of water on mobile devices and statistical methods for processing water needs. Another interesting trend is that of the study and processing of the data arriving at the network and plant remote control centres: they will make it possible to improve the predictive analyzes of any anomalies and programmed maintenance plans.
For the realization of the 9 projects, investments of over 1,2 million euros will be made and 21 researchers will be employed for the next 2 years. With the full implementation of the research results, the economic return, estimated over a period of 5 years, is 4,8 million euros.
Molé (Hera): "Innovation at the service of citizens"
"This partnership makes us proud, because it takes us another step forward: we combine resources and know-how between subjects who strive every day to guarantee essential services such as water - said Salvatore Molé, Central Innovation Director of the Hera Group - Being able to improve and guarantee the best technologies available, betting on research, is what Hera has focused on since its inception. Every year we invest 100 million euros in the water cycle and we have organized ourselves internally with a structure dedicated precisely to innovation, which has become a key factor in our work. This is because purification, distribution and purification are activities often carried out "behind the scenes", but which are vital for citizens and the territory".
Profumo (IREN) "Making the best use of the resources we have"
"In the next 30 years, 60-65 billion investments are expected for the water sector: this means that it is necessary to engage in targeted activities so as not to waste the economic resources available - explained the President of Iren Francesco Profumo - In this regard, I quote HORIZON 2020, the European program for Research and Innovation which will support basic and applied research projects aimed at creating innovation, social and economic development in the 2014-2020 period. The collaborations that our companies enter into with universities and research institutions are therefore an important tool through which to develop skills with economic repercussions on the territory".
Romano (SMAT) "Applied research to improve the quality of the water service and the development of a national water industry"
“The strength of this Agreement lies in the aims and methods with which the jointly directed research will be developed. Through the activation of interdisciplinary groups, the areas of highly innovative applied research were identified, on which to work in a shared way. Smat Managing Director Paolo Romano said – In six months, 9 projects were selected that responded to the achievement of a better quality of service and that had an industrial impact. Then roles, activities and costs have been defined. The total cost amounts to 2,8 million euros including the cost of 21 researchers and a return of 5 million euros is expected for the first 4,9 years of full exploitation of the research. This means providing employment, improving the quality of the service and making the Italian industry grow in support of the water service managers, with a positive economic result for the 3 companies”.
