We have successfully coordinated and partnered in numerous european projects. Learn more about it in this article!
Chemwater project |
EMH' Role: Communication
Duration: 2,5 years
Field: Sustainable tools in Chemical Process and Water Industry
Partners: 11 partners (among which 2 EU platforms -SusChem and WssTP- and 3 international associations)
Brochure: ChemWater
Coordinating European Strategies on Sustainable Materials, Processes and Emerging Technologies Development in Chemical Process and Water Industry across Technology Platforms
Europe must use water more efficiently to avoid the anticipated impacts of water shortage driven by a range of dynamics, including climate change. Nanotechnologies, materials, and process innovations (NMP) are key enabling technologies for efficient industrial water management. The chemical industry has a unique role as a major water user and a key solution provider for the development of future water technologies.
ChemWater will coordinate EU strategies across and beyond ETPs on sustainable materials, technologies, and process development in the chemical and water industries, with the final objective of integrating and exploiting NMP knowledge and technologies addressing the emerging global challenge of sustainable industrial water management. The ChemWater workplan will deliver:
- Cross-sectoral synergies between key stakeholders (i.e., ETPs, NoEs, ERA-NETs)
- A long-term 2050 vision and strategy on technologies and process developments enabling efficient industrial water management
- A joint implementation action plan addressing NMP research needs, skills needs, and business development opportunities
- A specification of the elements and mechanisms required to ensure the rapid uptake and commercialization of enhanced materials and processes
- The establishment and implementation of an effective dissemination strategy to ensure communication
ChemWater provides an opportunity to promote a progressive, science-based industry, foster a sustainable European supply industry, contribute to meeting the water needs of society, and potentially provide Europe with a leading position in the growing global NMP-Water market.
Nanomempro project |
EMH' Role: Coordination & management
Duration: 4 years
Field: Membrane science and technology
Partners: 13 European institutions representing 13 European countries
Brochure: NanoMemPro
The NANOMEMPRO project was a joint initiative of thirteen European partners and constitutes the European Network of Excellence (NoE) in membrane science and technology.
The main objectives of the project are threefold: the enhancement of coordination in research activities concerning membrane science and technology, for example, through the offering of related Master's and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees; the expansion of worldwide collaboration among experts active in the related field; and the development of strong links with European industry, especially with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The main achievements stemming from the activities of NANOMEMPRO are listed below:
- All activities related to membrane science and technology in Europe have been made visible to the scientific community and the membrane-technology industry, thanks to staff mobility, the organization of meetings, and cooperation between different research groups;
- NANOMEMPRO established an interaction between membrane researchers, the membrane-technology industry, and end-users to disseminate information about research activities and address any issues;
- A legal entity, known as the European Membrane House (EMH), sustains NANOMEMPRO's activities and created a European membrane technology platform;
- NANOMEMPRO addressed the need for an interdisciplinary approach regarding the use of membranes in medical applications.
Romeo project |
EMH' Role: Intellectual property valuation, communication & dissemination
Duration: 4 years
Field: Industrial optimisation processes
Partners: 11 European partners
Website: Romeo
The integration of reaction and downstream processing steps into a single unit is of central importance for achieving a new level of process intensification for catalytically driven and eco-friendly reaction systems.
This disruptive technology concept has the potential to reduce the total energy consumption of large-scale industrial processes by up to 78%. Additionally, emissions can be reduced by up to 90%. To accomplish this, homogeneous catalysts are supported on membranes. Embedding the homogeneous catalysts in thin films of non-volatile ionic liquids (SILP technology) preserves their catalytic abilities as in the homogeneous phase, while anchoring directly on the membrane ensures the most efficient separation.
The new technology concept will be demonstrated through two prominent large-scale reaction types:
- Processes with undesired consecutive reactions, such as hydroformylation;
- Equilibrium-driven reactions, such as the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction.
These processes, relevant to bulk chemicals and bioenergy applications, have been selected to showcase the high impact of the ROMEO technology in an industrially relevant environment. A core objective is also to gain a detailed understanding of the general processes at the molecular level for the various required functionalities. One notable achievement will be the development of a modeling “toolbox” that can be applied to other processes to quickly assess the benefits of the ROMEO technology for specific reactions. The ROMEO reactor methodology is highly adaptable and can be tailored to different processes and volume requirements. Production volume can be increased through a straightforward scaling-up of reactor modules.
Xeric project |
EMH' Role: Intellectual property valuation, communication & dissemination
Duration: 3 years
Field: Electric vehicles
Partners: 9 European partners
Website: Xeric
The limited capacity of electric batteries, combined with the substantial energy required to operate auxiliary equipment, significantly impacts the range capability of electric vehicles.
For instance, in summer conditions, the climate control system can consume up to 60% of the available energy. In the XERIC project, we have worked to technologically exploit the properties of aqueous desiccant solutions housed in a novel three-fluids-combined-membrane-contactor (3F-CMC) that simultaneously operates with air, desiccant solution, and refrigerant. The goal is to develop a hybrid system that dehumidifies air without needing to cool it below its dew point, thereby increasing overall system efficiency. The objective was to create an industrially viable hybrid climate control system for electric vehicles that ensures passenger comfort while reducing energy consumption by more than 50%.
Bio Art project |
EMH' Role: Communication & dissemination
Duration: 3 years
Field: Public health
Partners: 11 European partners
Leaflet: BioArt
Renal and liver diseases are global public health problems, with the incidences of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and end-stage liver disease (ESLD) rising annually.
Due to the lack of donor kidneys, most of ESRD patients depend on dialysis treatment using either an artificial kidney or the peritoneal membrane. Both modes are inefficient in removing uremic waste molecules and inadequately remove excess body fluids, potassium and phosphate contributing significantly to severe patient health problems, poor life quality and high mortality (15-20% per year). The impairment of liver functions has also serious implications and it is responsible for high rates of patient morbidity and mortality. Presently, liver transplantation remains the treatment of choice for ESLD patients but it is limited by both the high costs and severe shortage of donor organs. BIOART ITN (Training network for developing innovative (bio)artificial devices for treatment of kidney and liver disease) will provide state-of-the-art multidisciplinary training for a cohort of 16 young researchers in order to equip them with the skills required to make a significant impact in the treatment of kidney and liver diseases.