The STInno project introduces 3 research driven clusters and 12 partners from 5 European countries. The regions of Päijät-Häme, Kalmar and Western Greece have a common objective to strengthen RTD resources in industrial wastewater treatment and become world leaders in sustainable, cost and energy efficient methods.
Background
These regions show a clear focus on clean technologies and complement each other as they are in different stage in their cluster development, RTD policies, disciplines and sustainability. Together with the expertise of the RTD partners, an enormous amount of knowledge on wastewater treatment, methods and techniques involved is generated. Finland, Sweden and Greece do not rely on huge quantities of RTD activities and companies, but as small economies, on developing niche RTD sectors. For niche economies value-added networks are the solutions. This mindset can also be seen in STInno. The whole wastewater treatment sector of the agrochemical industry is evaluated, the olive mill wastewater sector being a case study. The reason for this particular focus are the enormous environmental problems the untreated olive mill wastewaters are causing.
Lahti Science and Business Park took this initiative realising the vital importance of clear and sufficient water resources and aiming at strengthening of industrial wastewater treatment know-how exchanges between the regional public administration bodies, as well as deepening relations between the Finnish, Swedish and Greek R&D drive clusters, institutions and companies in this significant sector. The project idea originated from four leading wastewater companies located or having activities in the Päijät-Häme region, Finland. These companies have a strong vision of building up a sub-cluster for the wastewater treatment in Päijät-Häme and enhancing the R&D activities in the region. Päijät-Häme already has a very strong focus on environmental or clean technologies in the Finnish context. The abovementioned wastewater treatment companies have already had existing business contacts with the Kalmar region in Sweden which has the same 12 kind of strong focus on environmental issues and also interesting cuttingedge technology companies dealing with wastewater treatment are being located there. Kalmar was the first region in Sweden to announce itself as a sustainable region and all the 12 municipalities are committed to this goal.
Patras Science Park and the Regional Innovation Pole of Western Greece have carried out long-term work in their cluster development. They also have focused on environmental issues and they have formed a WaterTech Cluster in order to tackle e.g. the serious environmental problems caused by olive mill wastewater. They have a good end-user point of view on these problems. By combining the Finnish and Swedish views for reaching cutting-edge technology turn-key solutions in niche R&D sectors and adding the Greek understanding of end-user concerns and hands-on R&D knowledge, the project consortium aims at achieving long-term commitment and successful, concrete Joint Action Plan strategies.
Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW)
The environmental impact from OMW includes several problems:
- High organic load (COD> 100 g/l)
- Phenolics and lipids reduce the action of microorganisms
- Toxic action on plants
- Biodegradation is very slow and can be done only with some particular and small number of bacteria
OMW can also be useful. It can be used:
- as fertilizer
- as animal feeding and in the food industry
- as growth medium for algae
- and contains a biopolymeric substance production, focusing on polysaccharide and biodegradable
- Use of polyphenols as antioxidant agents
Objectives
Specific S&T objectives of the STInno project are:
- To strengthen the research potential and infrastructure of the participating EU regions in Finland, Sweden and Greece by encouraging and supporting regional industrial wastewater regional research driven clusters.
- To stimulate the clusters through the development of Joint Action Plan.
- To create the preconditions for reaching the future global market by preparing the Joint Action Plan implementation steps in industrial wastewater treatment for the participating regions.
- To increase the competitiveness of the partner organisations through mentoring.
- To deepen the understanding of ecological use of water resources.
- To provide policy recommendations and suggest joint future actions in industrial wastewater quality indicators and EU legislation.
Workpackages
- WP 1 Project Management and Coordination, (leader Lahti)
- WP2 Communication and dissemination, (leader Regional Council of Kalmar)
- WP 3 Analysis of regional waste water policies, disciplines, research agendas, technologies and markets, (leader IAMAW)
- WP4 Policies for the Support of Regional Research Driven Clusters, (leader PSP)
- WP5 Development of Joint Action Plan and Roadmap, (leader LUT)
- WP6 Measures towards the internationalization, commercialisation and piloting of the Joint Action Plan, (leader SSSE)
- WP7 Mentoring, (leader LEC)
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