Andalusia activates scientists against drought: offers 8 M for innovative ideas

Andalusia needs new approaches to combat the drought and cannot simply wait for luck to rain. This is at least the opinion of the Junta, whose government is finalizing a decree-law that it expects to approve shortly and through which it will allocate eight million euros to help companies, researchers and other groups develop innovative solutions to combat the drought..

The Minister of University, Research and Innovation, José Carlos Gómez Villamandos, has made this announcement precisely before the representatives of various public and private companies gathered by the Andalusian Technology Corporation (CTA) at the CSIC (Higher Center for Scientific Research) headquarters..

The representative of the Andalusian Government recalled that “we are in the worst drought in the last 500 years” and for this reason last autumn the Junta activated the platform for innovative projects PLAAnd Sequía Andalucía in order to take care of the “reception, identification, analysis and transfer of initiatives, inventions and innovative projects that contribute to mitigate, from the field of research and innovation, the effects of water scarcity that characterizes Andalusia in an exceptionally dry year”.

In just a few months, the online platform launched has received 93 solutions provided by 75 entities, of which 59 are from Andalusia and 16 from outside. Of the set of ideas, 66.6% (62) are promoted by companies, while the rest have been promoted by research groups and R&D centers.

Among these proposals, there are projects of all kinds, from the one presented by a company from Lucena (Córdoba) to generate up to 10,000 liters of water per day from the atmosphere for human consumption or agriculture to the use of microalgae for water treatment. sewage, smart irrigation, crop monitoring, use of drones to detect water leaks in aerial pipes, application of artificial intelligence, water recirculation systems in homes, among others. In addition to these projects, there are also others that include technologies that avoid the waste of cold water that occurs when the user wants to use hot water..

Most of the solutions listed fall into the category of agriculture, fishing, water and rural development (84), although they also offer measures for the needs raised in other areas such as industry, energy and mines; sustainability, environment and blue economy; emergencies and civil protection; infrastructures, articulation of the territory and housing, and tourist activity, culture and sport.

Given this active participation of numerous companies, researchers and public bodies, the Board has decided to go one step further and financially support the development of some of these solutions or others that are presented.. For this, the Andalusian Government will shortly approve (foresees before the summer) a decree-law by which it will dedicate eight million euros to help various projects.

The call for incentives will be competitive and will receive European financing, through Feder Funds, which represents 85% of the amount; and own resources, which represent the remaining 15%. To benefit from this programme, the initiatives must have a minimum budget of 250,000 euros and the subsidy from the regional administration may cover from 40% to 100% of the amount depending on the type of project and applicant entity..

These projects must have a maximum execution period of 24 months, so the Board requests that these solutions already have a significant degree of technological maturity (between TRL5 and TRL9).. Companies, Innovative Business Groups (AEI), public research organizations, universities and technology centers that research in this field or that have designed a technological tool that helps to alleviate the problem of water scarcity, individually or in a group (maximum six participants).

The Andalusian Knowledge Agency (integrated into Trade) is the body in charge of this project, with which it aims to “promote the transfer of knowledge between the different agents of the Andalusian system, as well as gain efficiency, speed and effectiveness in research, products and services in which the different research groups or companies in the region work”.

This conference was closed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, who encouraged researchers and companies to look for these “future solutions in which Andalusia is willing to lead the fight against drought in Spain ”.

The representative of the Board regretted that water governance is “so complex and poorly structured, with the powers distributed among so many administrations that it makes management more difficult, especially in times of deficit like the current one”.

Likewise, he has boasted that 42% of all the works of the Board are in water infrastructures and has indicated that “it is only the beginning because there is no turning back and we have all realized how essential water is for the future”. It has also requested agility from the Government to resolve the request of 13 Andalusian companies that are waiting for the award of European funds through the Perte (strategic plan) of water.

Representatives of Emasesa, Aguas del Huesna and Hidralia participated in the conference, who explained their experiences as innovative entities for which technology has been an ally in the management of the integral water cycle. For their part, Genaq, Inerco, Magtel and Sando showed environmental technological solutions to the water challenge, while Agualytics, Ayesa, Cibernos and GMV explained some innovative digital solutions to improve water management.