The Valencian innovation ecosystem now has a new driving force: Cetaqua inaugurates a delegation in the Valencian Community. A new milestone resulting from more than a decade of collaboration between Cetaqua and Hidraqua, the management company of all processes related to the integral water cycle in the territory, in R&D projects to address the needs of the territory and those derived from the current context of climate and water emergency.
Cetaqua is a water technology center of international reference, a leader in the achievement of European R&D projects, with presence in Catalonia, Andalusia, Galicia and Chile. He has more than 15 years of experience in the development and implementation of R&D 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 centers, startups and companies at a national and international level that allow it to be a benchmark in innovation in the water sector at a European level.
The Cetaqua delegation in the Valencian Community also aims to help generate large innovation projects that can offer solutions that help improve water and environmental management in 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 Dinapsis network of centers in the Valencian Community.
Javier Anguiano, Operations Manager of Valencia and Castellón, will be the Cetaqua delegate in the Valencian Community and will act as coordinator of projects and innovation initiatives linked to the water technology center in the territory. Likewise, with the objective of guiding the innovation strategy, an Advisory Council has been created composed of Manuel Pulido, Professor of Water and Environment, Director of the IIAMA-UPV, Coordinator of University Research Institutes; Ana Cidad, Managing Director of the ValgrAI Foundation; Angel Robles, Professor and Vice Dean of the School of Engineering and Researcher Group UPV-UV CALAGUA of the University of Valencia; Armando Ortuño, Professor of Territory, Transport and Environment of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Alicante; Fernando González-Candelas, Professor of genetics, principal investigator of the evolution and Health research group at the University of Valencia, 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 of Aguas de Alicante and Adela Yañez, Innovation Director of Labaqua.
This Advisory Council responds to challenges such as:
?The quality of water resources, the Valencian Community, like the rest of the territory, is affected by the overexploitation of aquifers, marine intrusion or pollution due to excess nutrients.
?The efficient and sustainable management of water, guaranteeing both the quantity and quality of water resources, which is so important for the development of activities such as tourism and agriculture.
?Water resilience, the management of droughts and floods that are so common in the Valencian Community and that have impacts on economic activity and infrastructure
?The promotion of the circular water economy to generate economic opportunities and reduce pressure on water resources.
This Advisory Council brings together the experience of Cetaqua, in the field of innovation, and of Hidraqua, together with the knowledge of representatives of the academic and scientific world. Entities such as the CSIC stand out, an indispensable governing body in the Cetaqua structure, as well as the University of Valencia, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Alicante. Likewise, entities such as Valgrai, Labaqua and Aguas de Alicante join this council as key innovation agents of the Valencian Community.
The first meeting of the Advisory Council, held at Dinapsis Valencia, marks the beginning of an effective collaboration for the development of local R&D 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 Council will be launched.
