Businessplan 2016-2020€¦ · This business plan describes Wetsus’ strategy for the 2016-2020 period, and is the successor of the Wetsus 20013-2017 business plan. The starting

Businessplan2016-2020

combining scientific excellence with commercial relevance

Business plan 2016–2020 3

Business Plan2016-2020

(April 2016)

Wetsus is co-funded by• theDutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs(TKI-TopsectorWater)• theDutchMinistryofInfrastructureandtheEnvironment• theEuropeanUnion(Horizon2020andSeventhFrameworkProgramme)• NorthernNetherlandsProvinces(REP-SNN)• theCityofLeeuwarden,theProvinceofFryslân• TheNetherlandsOrganisationforScientificResearch(from2017onwards)

Oostergoweg9(8911MA)P.O.Box11138900CCLEEUWARDENTheNetherlands

phone:+31(0)582843000e-mail: [email protected]: www.wetsus.eu

@wetsus Wetsus

Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology

5Business plan 2016–2020

1. Executive Summary and IntroductionWetsus,Europeancentreofexcellence forsustainablewater technology facilitatesbreakthroughinnovationsforwatertreatmenttechnology.ThisbusinessplandescribesWetsus’strategyforthe2016-2020period, and is the successor of theWetsus 20013-2017businessplan. The startingpoints,strategyandstructureofthisnewplanareinlinewiththeformerbusinessplan.

Thisbusinessplan is alignedwith thewater technology innovationcontractof theDutchWaterTopsectorandwiththeRIS3strategyoftheNorthernNetherlandsEUregion.Theresearchprogram2016-2020ispartofthescopeoftheTopsector’sTopconsortiumforKnowhowandInnovation(TKIwater technology),andhasclear linkswithseveralother regional,DutchandEuropeanpolicies.These policies address issues related to water availability, environment, innovation, economicdevelopment,science,inclusivegrowthandtalentdevelopmentandmobility.

1.1.GeneralintroductionBreakthroughtechnologicaldevelopmentsinthefieldofwatertreatmenttechnologyarerequired,notonlytoenabletheexportambitionsofthewatersector,butalsotohelpsolveglobalsocietalthreatsandchallenges,suchas:• Decreaseofbiodiversity(bywastewaterdischarge,hormonedisruptingsubstances,salination,

waterdepletion)• Growingshortageofwater(waterreuseanddesalinationrequired)• Emissionofgreenhousegasses,needforsustainableenergyandenergyefficiency• MillenniumDevelopmentGoals(globalwaterandsanitationavailability)• Growingantibioticsresistance(treatmentofhospitalwater)• Depletionofrawmaterials(recyclingofmetalsandmineralsfromwaterrequired)

Wetsus approachWetsusisafacilitatingintermediaryfortrend-settingknow-howdevelopmentandactsastheEUcentre of excellence forwater treatment technology.Wetsus creates a unique environment andstrategiccooperationfordevelopmentofprofitableandsustainablestateoftheartwatertreatmenttechnology.Wetsus’main activity is the coordination of aworld leading research program. TheinspiringandmultidisciplinarycollaborationbetweencompaniesandresearchinstitutesinWetsusresultsininnovationsthatcontributesignificantlytothesolutionoftheglobalwaterproblems.Atthismoment(2016),morethan100companiesannuallyinvestsome€3.3millioninthedemanddriven€14million/yearresearchprogram,withalongtermcommitment.

Wetsus,anot-for-profitfoundation,actsasTechnologicalTopInstituteforWaterTechnologyandislocatedinLeeuwarden,TheNetherlands.Innovation,partnership,reliability,joyandcooperationarethevaluesaroundwhichallWetsus’activitiesareperformed.Wetsusactsasanopenconsortiumforcompaniesandresearchinstitutes.Wetsus’scientificresearchprogramisdefinedbytheprivateandpublicwatersectorandconductedby leadinguniversities.AdedicatedIntellectualPropertyRights policy is in place, to enable optimal innovation, cooperation and the commercializationthereof.

Wetsus’distinguishingkeysuccessfactorsare:• Hightrustcooperationthroughrelativelysmallresearchthemes• Highcommitmentthroughlongtermcooperationcontractswithcompaniesandsecondment

agreementswithuniversities• Poolingofmultidisciplinaryknowledgefromuniversitiesandcompanies• StronginvolvementofSME’sfromalloverEurope• IndependentmeetingplaceforscientistsfromalloverEurope

6 Business plan 2016–2020

In addition to Wetsus’ research role, Wetsus also fulfills several other functions. A talent andeducationprogramisoperatedinordertodevelopthehumancapitalrequiredtofulfilltheinnovationambitionsoftheinternationalwatersector.Manyactivitiesinthefieldofstimulatingspin-offsandentrepreneurship are performed to stimulate the translation of laboratory inventions into actualinnovationsappliedinsociety.TheWetsusapproachisdescribedinmoredetailinchapter2.

1.2.Businessplan2016-2020Thesuccess,promiseandstructureofWetsus’activitiesperformedintheyearssinceitsstart in2003and,moreparticularly,the2013-2017businessplanarethebasisforthecontinuationforthe2016-2020period.Theambitionistocontinuewiththeexistingstrategy,structureandapproachinordertoexpandtheinternationalknow-hownetworkandtofurtherextendtheglobalimpactofthetheresearchprogram.

Inthisbusinessplanthestructureandstrategyofthenewresearchprogramandrelatedactivities,whichtogetherwillformthebasisoftheEUwatertechnologyknowledgenetwork,aredescribed.

ActivitiesTheheartofWetsus’activitiesistheexecutionoftheTTIresearchprogram.ThisdemanddrivenscientificprogramispartofthewatertechnologyinnovationcontractoftheDutchWaterTopsector.Besides its role in this national innovation strategy, Wetsus is active in several internationalprograms (Horizon2020, EIT, COSME, Interreg, European Fund for Regional Development) forinternational research cooperation. Asdescribedinchapter5,theresearchprogramissplitupin22themesinwhichtheparticipatingcompaniesdeterminethefocus.

Toalesserextent,programstostimulateclusteringandeconomicaldevelopment(EuropeanFundfor Regional Development, Regional spatial Economical Program REP) are used byWetsus forstimulationofthegrowthandeffectivenessofawatertechnologyknowledgefocalpointarounditsLeeuwardenpremises,WaterCampusLeeuwarden.Wetsuscombinesacampusapproachwithaninternationalknow-hownetworkstrategy(seefigure).Thisway,Wetsuscreatessynergyinregional,nationalandEUpolicyoninnovationandeconomicaldevelopment.

International commitmentWetsus’ current 101 company participantsand 21 know-how institute participants (statusMarch 2016) all have signed contracts withrunning commitments andwill also participatein the continued research program. This way,the required company funding for the newprogram is already committed. Further, theintention is to increase thisnetwork,especiallywithparticipantsfromtheinternationalbusinessand scientific community. As described inchapter6,togetherwithitsparticipantsWetsusis increasinglyactive inEUresearchprograms.These EU projects are the basis of Wetsus’recognition as the EU centre of excellence inwatertreatmenttechnology,bothasknowledgenetworkandasknow-howcampus.

TheenvisagedfundingofWetsusforthe2016-2020period issummarized in thebelow table.Chapter7providesfurtherinsightinthefinancialand organisational aspects of this businessplan.

WaterCampus

EU know-how network

Nationalcooperation

Global Impact


Wetsus funding 2016–2020 (in million €)averageper year

total2016–2020

Companiesanduniversities 5,75 28,75

MinistryofInfrastructureandEnvironment 0,5 2,5

MinistryofEconomicalAffairs 1,05 5,25

REPsubsidy(research,throughNorthernNetherlands) 4,75 23,75

Regionalauthorities(researchinfrastructure) 1 5

EuropeanUnion(FP7,Horizon20) 1,75 8,75

NWO(from2017onwards) 0,5 2

total 15,3 76

Outcome and impactThereturnoninvestmentfromthisbusinessplanwillbeaworldleadingpositionfortheEUinwatertreatmenttechnology,bothfortheknow-howinstitutesandforthecompanies(chapter8).Partieswillcooperateinauniquehightrustandhighcommitmentknow-hownetwork.Atthesametime,theresultingtechnologieswillconstituteasignificantcontributiontothesolutionoftheglobalwatercrisis.

Theworldwidewatertechnologybusinessisestimatedat€500billionperyear,withagrowthofmorethan10%peryear.Thedevelopedknow-howinWetsuswillputtheinvolvedpartofthewatersectorinaverycompetitivepositionontheglobalmarketplace.

TheenvisagedWetsusprogramwillleadto90patents,25newtechnologiesand35newcompaniesin2020.Morethan€75millionwilldirectlybeinvestedinresearchatWetsus.Amultiplierofthisamountisexpectedtobeinvestedinresearchanddevelopmentattheparticipatingcompaniesforthevalorizationoftheresults.Alsoasignificantventurecapitalinvestmentisenvisaged.Allthiswillleadtonewandsustainablesolutionsfortheglobalsocietalwaterproblems.Thiswillnotonlyleadtoimprovedqualityandavailabilityofwaterresources,butalsotosignificantnewbusinessforthewatersector.

Multidisciplinary research isdifficult toorganize.Wetsus invites researchers (forPhDprojectsof4 years) fromdifferent disciplines towork together in one geographical location,WaterCampusLeeuwarden. This way, people from different backgrounds learn to work multidisciplinary. ThegraduatedWetsusPhD’swillthereforebeamongthemostmultidisciplinaryscientistsintheworld.Further,duetothefactthatcompaniesarewellintegratedintheresearchprogram,thegraduatedPhD’swillalsohaveaclearindustryorientation.

ByworkingwithleadingchairsinEurope,thismultidisciplinaryapproachwillleadtotopresearch.ThecitationimpactoftheWetsusprogramuntil2015was2.4whichisofworldclasslevel.Wetsusaimsforaveryhighscientificimpactandthereforethecitationimpactobjectiveofthenewprogramisat least1.5 timesbetter thantheworldaverage,basedonmore than700producedscientificpapers.

Wetsus’ initiative will liberate enough impact, connectedness, synergy, talent and researchinvestmentstobecometheworld’snumber1inwatertechnology.


2. The Wetsus Approach2.1.IntroductionIn linewith theEU’sRIS3 strategy,Wetsus combines a campus approachwith an internationalknow-hownetworkstrategy.Inthecampus,multidisciplinaryknow-howandtalentareconcentratedandfacilitiesareshared.IntheWetsusinternationalknow-hownetwork,150partnersfromallovertheworld,butwithanemphasisontheEU,joinforcesonsolvingtheglobalwaterproblems.

Aspart of theDutch TopsectorWater approach,withinWetsus research institutes and industryjointly implementmarket-driven,application-oriented,multidisciplinary, (pre)competitivescientificresearchinthefieldofsustainablewatertechnology.Thisistypicallydoneinapplication-oriented,four-year-long researchprojectscarriedoutbyPhDstudentsand their supervisors.Wetsus isanot-for-profitfoundationandisformedafterthemodelforTechnologicalTopInstitutesoftheDutchMinistryofEconomicAffairs.Wetsuscombines scientificexcellencewithcommercial relevance,whichultimatelyresultsinsuccessfulinnovations.

Wetsus’distinguishingkeysuccessfactorsare:• Hightrustcooperationthroughrelativelysmallresearchthemes• Highcommitmentthroughlongtermcooperationcontractswithcompaniesandsecondment

agreementswithuniversities• Poolingofmultidisciplinaryknowledgefromuniversitiesandcompanies• StronginvolvementofSME’sfromalloverEurope• IndependentmeetingplaceforscientistsfromalloverEurope

Cooperation is thekeyword inWetsus.Wetsusactsasanopenconsortiumforcompaniesandresearchinstitutes.CompaniesandscientificinstitutestogetherconstitutetheparticipantnetworkthatWetsusactuallyis.Companies,assembledinaresearchtheme,togetherdeterminearesearchprogram,whichisexecutedbytheinvolvedresearchinstitutes.

To increase multidisciplinary cooperation,the research is done in Wetsus’ dedicatedlaboratory at WaterCampus Leeuwarden. Adedicated IPRpolicy, inwhich the interests ofall involved parties are respected and whichencourages commercial application of theinventions in society, is already successfullyappliedinWetsus’currentprogramandwillalsobeusedforthenewactivities.

While societal problems inspire researchinstitutes to new insights, Wetsus’ visionis that entrepreneurship will introduce newtechnologies into society in the most efficientway.

Wetsus’ activities are split up in 3 fields ofattention, as summarized in the below figure.Inthefollowingparagraphsthestrategyaroundthesefunctionsisdescribed.

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2.2.ResearchResearch approachAt the World Economic Forum in Davos (2006), water scarcity was recognized as the mostthreatening problem for mankind. The world requires solutions for new and growing existingproblemsintheavailabilityandqualityofwaterforpersonal,agricultural,industrialuseandnature.At thesame time, the focusmustbeonsustainablesolutions for theseproblems requiring lessenergy,reuseofvaluablemineralsandmetalsandlowornoproductionofgreenhousegasses.So,moreavailablewaterwithalowerenvironmentalfootprint.

Traditional civil engineering solutions will not be able to provide solutions for these challengesthatoursocietyfacesnowandinthefuture.Newwaterprocesstechnologywillbenecessarytodevelopnewconceptstotreatwastewaterandtoproducecleanwaterfromalternativesourceslikesalt(sea)water,wastewaterorhumidairtominimizetheuseofpreciousgroundwater.

The researchobjectiveofWetsus is todevelopsustainablewater technology. Inour vision, thistechnologymustbe:• Basedonprocesstechnology• Apotentialbreakthroughsolution• Emission free• Partofanendlesscycle(naturaltechnology,cradletocradle)• Introducedintosocietybyentrepreneurs

The combination of biological and chemical conversion technologywith separation technology,hightechsystemsandnewmaterialshashighpotentialtodevelopimportantinnovationsinwatertechnology,especiallyifresearchersworkinclosecollaboration,preferablyatasinglelocation.InWetsus,scientificexpertisefromdifferentknowledgeinstitutesinEuropeiscombined,leadingtoabundlingofmonodisciplinaryscienceintoaworldleadingmultidisciplinaryresearchprogramonwater technology.Thecriticalmassof thisprogram is concentrated inWetsus’multidisciplinarylaboratory.

Demand driven cooperation model and participation formsSince its start in 2003, Wetsus has shown that its strategy to operate as a demand drivenorganization inwhichscientificexcellence iscombinedwithcommercial relevance issuccessful.Theresearchprogramwillcontinuetobedefinedbytheinvolvedindustrialpartners,inconsultationwith,andcarriedoutbyexcellentacademicgroups.Thisset-upguaranteesanindustriallyrelevant,multidisciplinaryscientificresearchprogramfocusedonbreakthroughs.

The research program is divided in themes, which essentially are Intellectual Property-clusters.Typically,perthemesome8companiesand4universitiescooperate.Theprogramisidea-based;theideasarerankedbytheinvolvedcompanies.Thesecompaniespayanannualparticipationfeewhichgivesthemtherighttodefinetheprogram(asagroupwiththeotherthemecompanies)andtoexerciseasharedrightoffirstrefusalontheresultsoftheresearch.Excellentscientificchairsareinvitedtoexecutetheresearchandtosharetheirknow-howwiththeotherthemeparticipants.Regularthememeetingsensurecontinuousinvolvementofallstakeholders.

Blueenergy

PhD PhD

PhDPhD

Landustrie/DeSaH(SME)

Fuji Film(Industry)

Alliander(End-user)

A.Hak(Industry)

REDstack(SME)

Mast Carbon(SME)

AquaBattery(SME)

Magneto(SME) Example of company involvement in a Wetsus

research theme: Blue energy


IntheWetsuscooperationmodel,adistinctionismadebetweencompanyandknow-howinstituteparticipants,asdescribedbelow.FortheavailableparticipationformsdedicatedmodelagreementsforcooperationintheWetsusprogramareavailable.AllparticipantshavefreeaccesstothefollowingservicesofferedbyWetsus:• EarlyaccesstoallWetsus’scientificpublications• Membershipofanexclusivewatertechnologynetworkcontainingspecialistsfrom125partners

(2016status;in2017150partners)• Dedicatedworkshops• Admissiontointernal(closed)conferences• FreeaccesstoWetsus’publiccongresses

SpecificIPrightsforeachparticipationformarepartoftheWetsusIPRregulations(seebelow).

Company participantsCompanies participate in Wetsus per research theme. Knowledge, which results from pre-competitiveresearchfundedbytheseparticipants,isimplementedcommerciallybytheparticipantsandismadeaccessibletothirdpartiesthroughpatentsandscientificpublications.

Theparticipatingcommercialandresearchorganizations(statusMarch2016)arelistedinappendix1. Wetsus’ aim is to extend the number of company participants in order to further increase thecommercialrelevanceandmomentumofthescientificresearch.Wetsushasacollaborationpolicythatfocusesonprotectingtheinterestsoftheparticipants.

Cooperation inWetsus isemphaticallynot limitedtoDutchcompanies.Asper2016,companiesfrom Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan,Monaco,Norway,SaudiArabia,Spain,UK,USAandtheNetherlandsparticipate.Some26%oftheparticipantsarefromoutsidetheNetherlands(March2016).Muchattentionwillbegiventofurtherinternationalization,particularlyinEurope,inthecomingyears(chapter6).

Asper2016,thefollowingratesapplyforparticipation(theseratesaresubjecttoinflationcorrection):CompanyParticipants: €27,500/theme/yearCompanyParticipants,turnoveroflessthan€3million/year: €16,500/theme/year

Further, a platform membership with network function is a participation form companies canchoose for.Theplatformparticipantshavenovoting rightson the researchprogram.TheyhaveindirectaccesstotheintellectualpropertyofWetsus(topatentsthatarenottransferredtorelevantthemeparticipants)andaprivilegedpositionwithrespecttoinformation.Each‘regular’companyparticipant automatically is a platform participant. The 2016 annual rate (subject to inflationcorrection)forplatformparticipationrangesfrom€3,300(companyturnover<€1.5million/year)to€7,700(turnover<€3million)to€11,000(turnover>€3million).

Know-how institute participantsThe involved know-how institutes conduct the actual research. Leading research chairs fromvariousEuropeanuniversitiesareinvitedforthispurpose.Thisresultsinaverymultidisciplinaryandexcellentscientificworkforcewithaclearfocus.TheresearchismainlyperformedbyPhDstudents,whoarerecruitedfromalloverEurope.Accesstoresearchfacilitiesof21researchinstitutesandaverylargescientificnetworkareimportantaddedadvantagesofthisapproach.

Asper 2016, 55 scientific chairs from21 know-how institutes from9 countriesparticipate. ThestrategyistomaintainthisnetworkofEUchairsandtofurtherincreaseitsrelevanceandimpact.

Intellectual Property policyThe Wetsus research program is divided in themes, which essentially are Intellectual Propertyclusters.Companiespayanannualparticipationfeepertheme,whichgivesthemtherighttodefinetheprogram(asagroupwiththeotherthemecompanies)andtouseasharedrightoffirstrefusalon the results of the research.

IP-starting pointsThe Intellectual Property regulations ofWetsus aim to effectively transfer the developed know-how to the involvedcompaniesand to let the involvedknow-how institutesbenefit from that ina reasonablemanner.Anequilibriumbetween the interestsof companies, entrepreneurs, know-


howinstitutesandgovernmentalbodieshasbeenfound.TheIP-regulationsarebaseduponthefollowingstartingpoints:• Allinventionsaredonebyknow-howinstitutes.• PatentswillbefiledbyandpaidforbyWetsus,asintermediarybetweenthecompaniesand

know-howinstitutes.• Wetsushenceoffersthepatentstotheinvolvedcompanyparticipants.Forcommercialuse,a

cappedsuccessfee(orroyalty),relatedtothemarketvalueoftheinvention,ispaidtoWetsus.• Ifnoneoftheentitledcompanyparticipantsisinterested,thepatentcanbeofferedbyWetsus

tothirdparties.• Earnedsuccessfeeswillbedivided50/50betweenWetsusandtheknow-howinstitutethat

didtheactualinvention.Theknow-howinstitutescantransfer(partof)theirearningstotheinventingscientist(s).Wetsus’revenuesinthisregardarereinvestedintheresearchprogram.

• Forparticipatingpubliccompanies,suchaswaterboardsanddrinkingwatercompanies,a‘group-participation’cooperationformisoffered.Membersofthesegroupscannotobtaincommercializationrightsonpatents,butcanapplytheinventionsin-houseroyalty-free.

• Alldevelopedknow-howwillbemadepublic,eitherthroughscientificpublicationsorthroughpatenting.

IP regulationsBasedontheseprinciples,IP-Regulationshavebeensetup.TheregulationshavebeenapprovedbytheDutchministryofEconomicAffairsandcomplywiththeDutchVSNU-code(foruniversities)andwiththefaircompetitionrulesoftheEU.Intheseregulations,validatedbyProfessorDickvanEngelen (a lawprofessor in TechnologyTransfer at theUniversity ofUtrecht) appointments andproceduresarelaiddownbetweenallinvolvedpartiesinWetsusforthefollowingfields:• Patentingprocedures• Rightsandownershipofresearchresults• Useandcommercialexploitationofresearchresults• Acquiringandlicensingofpatents• Patentvalidation• Publicationofresearchresults• Backgroundknow-how• Entry/exitrulesforpartners• Confidentiality• Disputeresolutionboard

TheWetsus executive board is responsible for proper implementation of the above regulationsandactsasIP-Board.Incaseofadisputebetweenapartnerandtheexecutiveboard,adisputeresolutionboardcanbeinstalledbytheWetsussupervisoryboard.


2.3.EntrepreneurshipandValorizationAstimulating climate for collaboration and innovation in thewater sector is createdaround theresearchprogram.Wetsus’mainobjective is todevelop(pre)competitiveknow-howwithrespecttowatertreatmenttechnology,bybringingscientistsandentrepreneurstogether.Itiscrucialthatthisknow-howisconvertedintosuccessful,profitableinnovations.Inthisrespect,muchattentionisgiventothestimulationofinternationalnetworks,businessdevelopmentsupport,theproximityoftestfacilities,properbusinesseducation,availabilityofventurecapitalandotherfacilitationofstart-ups.TheInnovationEcosystemaroundWetsusisdescribedinmoredetailinchapter3.

Involvement of SME’sTooptimizetheinnovationchainefficiency,Wetsusstrivesforinvolvementofmultinationals,publiccompanies(typicallyendusers),start-upcompanies,andSME’s(typicallytechnologylaunchers)intheresearchthemes.Togetherwiththevarietyofexcellentscientificchairsinvolved,thisresultsinauniqueknow-hownetwork.

Publiccompanies fordrinkingwaterandwastewaterplayacrucial role in the innovationchain.In the IPR rules special provisions for public companies stimulate these parties to join thecollaboration.

Tostimulatetheinvolvementofsmallercompanies,severalmeasuresareinplace:• Companieswithaturn-overof€3millionandlessgetadiscountontheparticipationfee.• Inatheme,eachcompanyparticipant,largeorsmall,hasanequalvote.Thiscreatesequality,

trustandrespect.• DemonstrationsitesandothertestfacilitiesinthevicinityoftheWetsusresearchlaboratoryon

WaterCampusLeeuwardenhavebeenrealized.Here,technologiescanbetested,scaledupanddemonstratedtopotentialcustomers.ThisisasignificantfacilitationoftheSME’sinthiscrucialphaseofinnovation.

Asaresult,in201657%ofthecompaniesthathavejoinedthecollaborationwitharollingfinancialcommitmentcanbequalifiedasSME.Theentrepreneurialclimateintheresearchhasandwillleadtomanymarketintroductionsofnewtechnology,butalsototheformationofspin-offcompaniesandjointventuresbetweenthemeparticipants.

2.4.HumanCapitalandEducationHumancapital isabasiccondition toguarantee thesuccessandcontinuityof thedevelopmentof sustainable technologies and a European know-how economy in water technology. InmanyEUcountriesthelackoftalentedtechnologicalprofessionalsisbecominganincreasinglylimitingfactor,alsoforthewatertechnologysector.

TheWetsusstrategyistoperformaseriesofinterlinkedactivitiesthatwillcontributetothegrowthof the number of young professionals for the international community and a strongmobility ofknowledge-workersfortheEuropeanlabourmarket.TheseactivitieswillmaketheWaterCampusameetingplaceformasterandPhD-studentsandtheirprofessorsfromallovertheEuropeanUnion.Aplacewherewatertechnologymindsmeetandinspireeachother.

ActivitiesinthefieldofeducationarethededicatedsupportofprofessionalBScschools(‘DutchHBO’,withlectorsandsupportofdemanddrivenappliedresearchprojects),theWetsusAcademy(MScwaterprocesstechnology)andtheeducationofmultidisciplinaryPhD’s.Tomakeyoungstersenthusiasticaboutawatertechnologycareer,dedicatedtalentprogramsarecarriedoutatprimaryandsecondaryschools.TheseprogramsareruninclosecooperationwiththecompaniesanduniversitiesparticipatinginWetsus.

Theaboveactivitiesarefurtherdescribedinchapter4.


3. Innovation Ecosystem: Entrepreneurship and ValorizationWetsus’mainobjectiveistodevelop(pre)competitiveknow-howwithrespecttowatertreatmenttechnology,bybringingscientistsandentrepreneurs together. It iscrucial that thisknow-how isconvertedintosuccessful,profitableinnovations,notonlytocreatebusiness,butalsotohelpsolvetheglobalwatercrisis. In this respect, the facilitationofstart-upsandastimulatingclimateandinfrastructureforcollaborationinthewatersectorareofgreatimportance.Thissupportisavailablefor theentirewater sector, sonot just forWetsusparticipants. Theactivities in this respect aredescribedinthischapter.

3.1.WaterCampusLeeuwardenInordertostimulateknow-howclusteringandvalorization,it is important that the critical mass of the international researchprogramofWetsus is embedded in adedicatedinnovation ecosystem.Wetsus is located in Leeuwarden,thecapitaloftheDutchprovinceFryslân.Thisprovince ischaracterizedbyarelativelyhighdensityofindependentlyowned and globally exporting water companies.Together with the relevant commercial, educational andgovernmental organizations, in particular Water Alliance(www.wateralliance.nl) and the Centre of ExpertiseWatertechnology (CEW), Wetsus drives the development ofWaterCampus Leeuwarden (www.WaterCampus.nl). Thiscampus increasingly acts as the European hub for watertechnology and hosts a concentration of commercial,educational and scientific activities in the field of watertechnology,providingsynergyintheshapeofnatural jointventures,newcreativityandfacilitysharing.

3.2.Education,appliedresearchand SMEcollaborationTheCentreofExpertiseWatertechnology(CEW;www.cew-leeuwarden.nl)hasstartedin2011onWaterCampusLeeuwardenasacentre forknowledgeand innovation inwater technology.CEWisauniquecollaborationbetweentheDutchgovernment(MinistriesofEducationandEconomicalAffairs),education (VanHallLarensteinandNHL,LeeuwardenbasedBScuniversitiesofappliedsciences) andbusiness in thewater sector.CEW is specially intended to increase the researchcooperationbetweenSME’sandUniversitiesofAppliedScienceswithanemphasisonvalorizationresearch.CEWformsinthatsenseavaluablecontributionintheknowledgechainfrominventionstoinnovations(www.cew-leeuwarden.nl;orcontactGerardAdema:[email protected]).

In addition, the ‘Centrum voor Innovatief Vakmanschap Water–CIV Water’ (www.civ-water.nl) enhances and supports vocational education and training forwater-relatedprofessions. Indayschool,butalso inpart-timeeducationandtailor-madeprograms, theCIVcollaborates inpartnershipwithseveral companies in thewatersector,themanufacturingindustry,service,maintenance,etc.


3.3.SharedDemonstrationSitesandFacilitiesForlargerscaleresearchanddemonstrationactivities,itiseconomicallynotfeasibletotransportlargequantitiesofspecificwatertoalaboratory.Toarrange‘Onsite’testingatthelocationwherethewaterisavailablehowever,isoftentime-andmoneyconsuming(foundationandpipingmustbeprepared,permitshavetobearranged,etc.),ifatallpossible.

To overcome this bottleneck in the innovation chain, Wetsus, together with Water Alliance,facilitates the realization of unique demonstration siteswhere new concepts can be scaled up,testedanddemonstrated.Thesiteshavebeenandwillbe realized ina radiusof50kmaroundtheWetsus laboratory.Thepossibilityforcompaniestotestanddemonstratenewtechnologyatspecially prepared sites in the immediate vicinity ofWetsus and its researchers accelerates theintroductionofnewtechnologyconsiderablyandisagoodexampleofthesynergythatiscreatedbygeographicclustering.Someexamples:• ‘Wetsalt’demositeseawaterdesalinationandblueenergyatFrisiaZout,Harlingen(2007).

Contact:[email protected]• VitensInnovationPlaygroundinNoardburgumforresearchonwaterdistributionsystems(2011;

contact:[email protected])anddrinkingwatertechnology(2010; contact:[email protected])

• ‘Sentec’demonstrationsitewaterqualitysensoringinGlimmen(2010). Contact:[email protected]

• DemonstrationsitesewagewaterinLeeuwarden(2010). Contact:[email protected]

• DemonstrationsitehospitalwastewaterinSneek(2014). Contact:[email protected]

Further, the Water Application Centre for bench scaletesting, available for commercial companies, has beendeveloped in cooperationwith van Hall Larenstein (universityof applied sciences) and local water companies (www.waterapplicatiecentrum.nl). This centre,WAC, has opened itsdoorsin2013.

From inventions to innovations to businessStart-up companies and SME’s are a crucial vehicle for the introduction of ground-breakinginnovationsintothemarketplace.WetsusandWaterCampushaveproventobeamagnetfornewwatercompanies.ThecontinuousstriveofWetsusandWaterCampusLeeuwardentostimulatethetranslationofknow-how intobusinesshas resulted in thestartof27spin-offcompaniesand invariousscale-upanddemonstrationprojectsforbreakthroughtechnologicalconcepts.Belowanoverviewofthesespin-offsisprovided.IntheNetherlandsasawhole,110newwatertechnologycompanieshavestartedtheirbusinessinthe2000-2015period.Ofthose110companies,27areWetsusspin-offs,and66havedirecttieswithWetsusand/orWaterCampusLeeuwarden.


WetsusandWaterCampusLeeuwardenenablestart-upsandSME’sinseveralways:• MatchmakingandaccesstotheWetsusknow-hownetwork(withpartners,endusersand

universities)• Creatinganinnovativeandentrepreneurialenvironment• Facilitationtheaccesstoseedandventurecapitalinadedicatedwayforthewatersector• WorkingcloselywithorganizationslikeBison,BeStart,NWP,Water

AllianceandSyntens.Entrepreneursorinventorswithearlybusinessideascanbesupportedbytheseorganizations.Bisonsuppliescoachingandpre-seedcapital

• Organizingbusinesseducation(MBAandbusinesschallenge,asdescribedinnextchapter)andco-offeringtheBeStartbusinessacceleratorprogram

• Supportinganincubatorforspin-off’sfromWetsusanduniversitiesandforothersmallwatertechnologycompanies.Thisincubator,locatedinthedirectvicinityoftheWetsuslaboratories,hasopeneditsdoorsin2009

• Facilitationofresearchinfrastructure;accesstodemosites• Bystimulatingthecreationofjoint-venturesforthefurtherdevelopment,scale-upand

commercialimplementationofnewtechnology

Wetsus spin-off companies• REDstack • AutomaticElectricEuropeSpecialProducts

• DeSaH • HydrOwashr

• Westt • Salttech

• AquaExplorer • Biotrack

• DutchRainmaker • TailTec

• EasyMeasure • ExtInsTechnologies

• WaterProMaSys • Aiforo

• Capilix • Duplaco

• PureGreen • Somut

• SmartFrequencies • Wisect

• WaterWaves • Djipper

• MetalMembranes • HighVoltageWater

• AquaBattery • NewAna

• Izer

3.4.FinancialFacilitationVentureCapital,PrivateEquityandotherfinancierscanstimulateentrepreneurshiparoundwatertechnologysignificantly.Manyfunds,watercompaniesandotherinvestorsareactivelylookingtoaddwatertechnologypropositionstotheirportfolio.Wetsusplaysaroleasmatchmakerbetweenfinanciers and water technology companies in need for capital. Wetsus and WaterCampusLeeuwardenhave the idealposition to, inaneutralway,createaplatform forwater technologycompaniestoshowcaseanddemonstratetheirinnovatepropositions.FrequentlyWetsusandotherWaterCampuspartnerswelcomevisitorsfromallovertheworldwithawater technology investment interest. This has led andwill continue to lead to an interestingnetworkoffinanciersandtechnologysuppliers,whichsubsequentlyresultsinseveralrealfinancesuccesses.


4. Human Capital and EducationInthefieldofhumancapitalandeducation,WetsusperformsseveralactivitiesthatwillresultinameetingplaceformasterandPhD-studentsandtheirprofessorsfromallovertheEuropeanUnion.Aplacewherewatertechnologymindsmeetandinspireeachother.Theactivitiesaresplitupin4mainfieldsofattention:WaterCampusTalentprogram,BSc-schoolsupport,WetsusAcademyandBusinessEducation,whicharedescribedbelow.

Intheeducationandtalentfields,WetsuscloselycooperateswiththeotheractorsinWaterCampusLeeuwardenandwithnational organisations.Our activities in this regardare summarized in thebelowscheme.

4.1.WaterCampusTalentProgramTogetherwithitspartnersinWaterCampusLeeuwarden,Wetsusisdedicatedtoplayanimportantroleintheinspirationofyoungpeopletochooseforaninnovativeorentrepreneurialcareerinwhichtheycanhelpsolvetheglobalwaterproblems.

Primary education• Water professor;newtheoreticalideasandempiricalresearchshowthatveryyoung

children’slearningandthinkingarestrikinglysimilartomuchlearningandthinkinginscience.Preschoolerstesthypothesesagainstdataandmakecausalinferences;theylearnfromstatisticsandinformalexperimentation,andfromwatchingandlisteningtoothers.Tostimulatethisbehavior,WetsussendsWaterprofessorstoprimaryschools.Morethan700schoolshavealreadybeenvisitedbythe‘WaterProfessor’.

• Excellent program;auniquecoursethatoffers4lessonswhichareadaptedtothelevelofhighlygiftedstudents.Thekidsarechallengedtosolveworldwaterproblems,usingtechnology.

Secondary educationTogether with teachers, researchers and companies, the Talent Program translates watertechnologytoalevelthatallowsyoungpeopletodiscoveritsimpactandhowitisappliedinthe

Age > lifelong learning

Primary education

• 3 Water Days

• 8+ Program • Water Wonder Lab

• Honours program • Teaching material • Pro�le Selection Test

• Training and education professionals • Empowering vocational education

• Bachelor of

- Environment

- Biotechnology

- Chemical Engineering

• MSc Water Technology (joint degree)

• Research schools

• MBA Program • Masterclasses • Business Challenge

Secundary education Vocational education Applied sciences water Master water technology PhD Business education

from 10 years from 12 years from 16 years from 20 years from 25 years


sector.Theresultofthiscooperationhasledtothedevelopmentofteachingmaterialandavarietyofprograms,suchas:• Honors Program;aselectedgroupofstudentsisinvitedtoworkontheirownresearch

atWetsus,supportedbyateamofWetsusresearchers.TheyoungresearchersqualifyforparticipationinaninternationalScienceFair.

• Practical courses water;eachmonthapracticalcourse‘watertechnology’isorganizedfor2ndgradestudents.Thecoursesencouragesresearchskills,cooperation,accuracy,‘outoftheboxthinking’andtakinginitiative.

4.2.BScWaterTechnologyWetsuscooperateswith5BScschools(DutchHBO)intheNetherlandsthathaveamajorinwatertreatment: Van Hall Larenstein, HAS Den Bosch, Hogeschool Zeeland, Noordelijke HogeschoolLeeuwarden and Saxion Hogeschool. Wetsus supports these BSc-schools and their watertechnologylectorsinseveralways,inordertohelpthemcontinuouslyimprovethecurriculum,toconnectthemwiththesectorandtoenablethemtoattractmoreandbetterstudents.

Harry Futselaar Lector International Water TechnologySaxion University of Applied [email protected]

Paul van Eijk Lector Sustainable Water Systems Hogeschool [email protected]

Luewton Lemos F. Agostinho Lector Water Technology NHL [email protected]

Niels Groot Lector Water Technology HZ Universityof Applied Science Delta [email protected]

4.3.EuropeanMScWaterTechnology:WetsusAcademyWetsusoffersaninternationallyuniquemasterprograminwatertreatmenttechnology.WageningenUniversity,UniversityofTwenteandtheUniversityofGroningenstarted in2008, inco-operationwithWetsus,anewmastertrackWaterTechnologyinordertocombineresearchandeducation.In2013theinvolveduniversitiesandWetsushaveformallychangedthemastertrackintoamasterprogram Water Technology with a joint degree. This way, Wetsus’ research program is usedsimultaneouslytoeducatenewtalentsinthefieldofwatertechnology.

Typically,theattendedbachelorprogramsoftheparticipatingstudentsarebasedononediscipline.The master program is based on multiple disciplines and thus requires a high level of (new)interdisciplinaryknowledgeassimilationand inquisitiveness from thestudent.Therefore, studentrecruitment emphasizes on quality (talent) more than quantity (number). Students register atWageningenUniversity, andwill henceautomatically be registeredat the twoother universities.Aftersuccessfulcompletionofthemasterprogram,studentsreceiveajointMScdegreefromthethreeuniversities.

4.4.BusinessEducationTogether with Empower People, SkillsTown and Lemniscaat School of Management, Wetsuslaunched an Executive Water MBA program and a series of masterclasses that combinesmanagementissueswithimportantwaterthemes.Theinternationalwatersectorisfacingseveraltechnicalandsocietalchallenges,suchasclimatechange, water scarcity, environmental pollution, aging population, aging infrastructure andurbanization /megacities.Thesechallenges requiremultidisciplinarysolutions.The futurewatermanagers therefore requiremore than just technical skills. TheeMBAprogramaddresses thoseneedsandistailoredtothewatertechnologysector.


TheEuropeanWaterCampusBusinessChallengeisatrainingprogramonwaterentrepreneurship,intendedforstudentsandexperiencedprofessionals.Thischallengeisorganizedannuallyinclosecooperationwithentrepreneursandspecialistfromtheinternationalwatersector(partnersincludeDeloitteandO2Environmental).During5days,participantsworkouttheirdraftbusinessplanintoapotentialcommercialone,readyforlaunchinga(new)waterproductorserviceon(new)markets.Participants interactwithsuccessful innovativetechnologyproviders,professionalfinanciersandCEO’sofwatertechnologycompanies,whosharetheirexperienceswiththem.

The European WaterCampus Business Challenge 2016 participants


5. Research Wetsus focuses on research and development of entirely new concepts and on breakthroughimprovementsofexistingtechnology. Inbothcases,anentirelynewapproachhasbeenchosenwherebythebasicprincipleisalwaystheintegrationofvariousknowledgedisciplines.Inadditionto collaboration between industry and universities, there is also unique scientific collaborationwithinWetsus.Manyscientificchairsfrommultiplescientificdisciplinescooperateintheprogram.Leading researchers from various universities and other research institutes can physically workside-by-sideintheWetsuslaboratory.Thisuniquecollaborationbringssynergyandnewcreativitytothesearchfornewsustainablewatertreatmenttechnology.

5.1.ResearchareaandscientificfocusThe research goal of Wetsus is to develop innovative and sustainable water technologies.Combining biological and chemical conversion technologywith separation technology and newmaterials has high potential to develop important innovations in water technology especially ifresearchersworkinclosecollaborationinonelaboratory.

Despite theenormous importanceofwater technology forsociety it isnota focalpointofmostacademic research groups. The expertise in various research groups is usually used for otherprocesses and only later adapted for water treatment in spin-off projects. Within Wetsus thescientificexpertiseofdifferentEuropeanknowledgeinstitutesispooled, leadingtoabundlingofmonodisciplinary scienceand resulting in aworld-leadingmultidisciplinary researchprogramonwatertechnology.

Intheprogram,inwhich55professorsareconnected(2016status),thefocusisonthefollowingfivemainresearchareasincleanwaterproductionandwastewatertreatment:1. Newwatersources2. Sustainablewatersupply3. Wastewatertreatmentandreuse4. Reuseandproductionofcomponentsandenergyfromwater5. Detectionofpathogensandmicro/nanopollutants

Theprogramisfurtherorganizedinanddefinedby22researchthemes(2016status).Thesethemesareclustersofparticipatingcompaniesandknowledgeinstitutes,whichtogetherdefineandcloselyfollowtheresearchprogram.Theresearchthemesmeetseveraltimesperyear.Onaverage,onenewresearchthemeisstartedeachyear,andalsoannuallyoneresearchthemeisended.

5.2.ResearchthemeorganizationResearch isperformedwithin theresearchthemeswhereparticipatingcompaniesdeterminethefocusoftheresearchprojects.Acompanyiscontractuallylinkedtooneormorethemes.Onlyinthesethemes,thecompanieshaveinfluenceontheresearchprogramandaccesstotheintellectualproperty.Knowledge institutesare invitedwithintheseresearchthemestoexecutetheresearch.Together,thecompaniesanduniversitiescomprisethethemeteam.

Wetsus takescareofabalancedresearchprogramwithin the themesandensures thescientificexcellenceoftheresearchprojects.

A theme manager, from industry, is appointed for each research theme. Wetsus appoints a themecoordinator for each theme, typically taking care of the theme organization, communicationwith thethemeparticipantsandsupervisiononresearch.Theorganizationisschematicallydepictedinfigure5.1.


The PhD-researchers executing the researchprojects are in principle employed by theinvolved know-how institutes and full timeseconded in the multidisciplinary WetsuslaboratoryinLeeuwarden.AllPhD-studentsaresupervisedbytheirprofessorandotherrelevantuniversitystaff.ToeachPhD researcheractivein the Wetsus laboratory, a daily supervisor(PhDmentor, or PhD coach) is assigned fromthe Wetsus scientific staff. Often this is thesame person as the theme coordinator of thethemewhere thePhD researcherperformshisresearch in.

All themes meet at least three times a year. In these theme meetings the progress of theresearch isdiscussedwithall theparticipatingcompanies and knowledge institutes. In thesemeetings, PhD-students and postdoctoralresearchers present their results.

Project definitionResearchprojectsaredefinedwithinaresearchtheme during an idea driven iterative processbetween the participating commercial partiesand invited academic researchers. This leadsto a clear business orientation combinedwithexcellent academic quality of the researchactivities. The company members of therelevant research theme evaluate and rankthe generated ideas on their commercial andscientific relevance. For high ranked ideas,a project proposal will be written by theknowledgeinstitutes.Thefinalprojectproposalisevaluatedbythemanagementboardandbyan independentprogramcouncil.Theprogramcouncil,consistingofindependentexpertsfromthefield,advicesthemanagementboardontheprojectproposalbaseduponthreepre-definedcriteria: • Scientificquality• Innovationpotential• Composition of research team

Basedupon theprogramcouncil’s advice, themanagement boarddecides on acceptance oftheproposalafterevaluationofitsstrategicfitintheprogramanditsfinancialfeasibility.

industry

scientific responsibilityuniversities

researchproject

researchproject

researchproject

thememanager (industry)

themecoordinator

(Wetsus)

Figure 5.1: Structure of a research theme

programcommittee

(companies and universities)

executive board

program council

project idea

advice

iterativeproposal

Figure 5.2: Schematic representation of the assessment of project proposals


5.3.ResearchprogramTheresearchprogramfor2016-2020isdefinedin22researchthemes,whicharedescribedinmoredetailinthefollowingpages.

1 | DesalinationTofacethecurrentandfuturedemandsforfreshwaterandwaterreuse,sustainabledesalinationofseawaterandtreatmentofgroundwaterandwastewaterisrequired.Newtechnologyisneeded,with the capacity to remove the salts and to recover them in a reusable form. Lowenergy useandpreventionofharmfulchemicaldischargearefurtherdemandsforsustainabledesalination.Inthistheme,thefocus isonthedevelopmentofdesalinationtechnologiesforseawater,brackishwaterandwastewater.Inthistheme,severaldesalinationtechnologiesareappliedandcombinedtogether,suchaselectrochemistry,supercriticalwater,crystallization,membraneseparation,andadsorptioninforinstanceionicliquids.Themestarted:2004.

2 | Capacitive deionizationCapacitiveelectrosorptionwithactivatedcarbonelectrodesisanewandpromisingtechniquethathas importantadvantageswhencomparedtoexisting techniques for removingsalts fromwater.Capacitivedeionizationcombinesahighsalt removalefficiencywith lowuseofenergy, virtuallynochemicalrequirementandsimpleandrobustoperation.Inthisthemethistechnologyisfurtherdeveloped.Themestarted:2004.

3 | Priority compoundsCosteffectiveandnon-specificUVdegradationofprioritycompounds intoharmlessproducts isthemainfocusofthistheme.TheeffectofUVlampswithdifferentemissionspectrawillbestudieduponthe(geno-)toxicologicaleffectofthedegradationproducts.Newtechnologiesthatenhancethe effectiveness and/or lower the amount of toxic byproducts of UV technology by removinginterfering compounds (e.g. natural organic compounds) are developed aswell. Theme started:2010.

4 | Applied water physicsThe emphasis in this theme is on the physical interaction of water with external signals. Forinstance, application of a high electrical potential difference between two closely located glassbeakersfilledwithde-ionizedwaterleadstotheformationofasocalled“floatingwaterbridge”.Thephysicalprinciplesthatcandescribethisphenomenonarestudiedusingadvancedmeasurements(ultrafastfluorescencespectroscopy,neutronscattering,high-speedvideoimagingandanalysis).Theeffect of otherwater treatment concepts that arebasedonphysical interaction technologyare further investigated in physical, chemical and biologicalmodel systems that have practicalrelevance.Anyproveneffectof thenewwater treatmentconceptsonthebehaviorof themodelsystemsmayresultinnewinsightsand(new)breakthroughtechnologies.Themestarted:2007.

5 | Smart Water GridsThenetworkofdrinking-waterpipelinesintheWesternworldisveryextensive.However,itvariesinageandmanydifferentmaterialsandlayingmethodshavebeenused.Generallytheconditionofthenetworkishardtogaugebecauseitisunderground.Newtechnologiesarevitaltoallowinspectionof the condition of pipelines and appendages at low cost. Developments such as (ultrasonic)sound,magneticwaveandradartechnologiesareveryrelevant.Theambitionforthisthemeistodevelopmethodsforthein-lineandon-lineinspectionofpipelines,tomakewell-foundeddecisionsaboutthepossiblereplacementofpipelines.Themestarted:2009.

6 | Virus ControlManydifferenthouseholdwatertreatmentandsafestorage(HWTSS)systemshavebeendevelopedforlow-incomeconsumerstoproducedrinkingwaterofacceptablemicrobiologicalqualityandtomaintainthisqualityduringstorageanduse.HowevertheseHWTSSsystemsarenotveryeffective


in removing or inactivatingwide varieties of enteric viruses. These viruses aremajor agents ofinfectiousdiseasessuchasgastroenteritis.Thegoalwithinthisthemeistodevelopeffectiveandefficienttreatmentprocessestoproducesafeandvirusfreedrinkingwater.Membranetechnologies,oxidationtechnologies,UVdisinfectionaswellasadsorptiontechnologiesarepotentialtechniquesto achieve this. Themechanism of virus inactivation, damage and removal by these treatmenttechnologiesneedstobeelucidatednotonlyformodelorganisms(M2Sbacteriophages)butalsofor human pathogenic viruses. The gained knowledge will allow the development of effective,controllableandaffordabletreatmentprocesses.Themestarted:2009.

7 | Ground Water TechnologyOurdrinkingwater springs from thenatural systemofgroundandsurfacewaterandextractingwater from usable underground freshwater supplies is very important. Innovative research isneeded to improve current operations but also gives bidding opportunities for the internationalmarket.Animportantreasontodevelopsmartconceptsforthedevelopmentoftheundergroundistheincreasingpressureonavailablespace.Themestarted:2008.

8 | BiofoulingInordertoproducesafeandhealthywater,membranefiltrationisoftenappliedinwatertreatment.Biofoulingistheaccumulationandgrowthofmicro-organismsonthemembranesurface,leadingtoan increase in the required feedpressure. Incasenopretreatment is installed,severe foulingmay occur when applying nanofiltration and reverse osmosis in surface water and wastewatertreatment.Thismayresultinareducedproductioncapacityand/orafrequentmembranecleaning.Inallcases,theconsequenceisanincreaseincostsperamountofproducedortreatedwater. The challenge of the research within Wetsus is to develop membrane systems that are lesssusceptible to biofouling. This may lead to the development of chemical biofouling inhibitors,adapted operational conditions or new membrane module designs. Current research projectsare based on the concept of nutrient limitation to control biofilm development,which could beobtainedbymoreextensivepre-treatment.Also,cleaninganddetachmentofbiofilmsareimportanttopicswithin theresearchprogram.Know-howareasthatareused in theresearchprogramare:microbiology,molecularbiology,surfacechemistryandmembraneandprocesstechnology.Themestarted:2004.

9 | ConcentratesMembranefiltrationandionexchangechromatographyarebothproventechnologies inthefood& beverage andprocesswater industry. They havemajor advantages over traditionalmethods:excellentproductquality, limiteduseofchemicalsand thesimultaneous removalofavarietyofcontaminants.Thedisadvantage,however, is theproductionofaconcentratedsalt liquidwasteproduct.Currentpracticeistodischargetheconcentratestreamintothesewersystemordirectlytosurfacewater. This can lead to exceeding the (local) emission standards. Increasingly strict emissionstandards (including theEuropeanFrameworkDirectiveonWater)means thatmore sustainablerecyclingtechniquesmustbefound.Alsointheoilandgasindustries,concentratedsaltstreamsarefound.Theyareproducedduringtheexplorationofoilandgasandtheirsalinityexceedsthatofseawater.Thethemeisfocusedonfindingsolutionsformembraneconcentrates,ionexchangereclaimandconcentratedsaltindustrialeffluents.Theresearchisaimedprimarilyat:technologiestoremove(andpreferablyreuse)specificcomponentssuchassaltsandanti-scalants,conceptsforthereuseofconcentratesinagricultureandindustry,andtechnologiestoreducethevolumeoftheconcentrates.Themestarted:2007.

10 | Advanced Water TreatmentTheemphasisinthisthemeisonnewsustainablewastewaterpurificationtechnologiestoremoveor decompose all particles, priority compounds, organisms and other contaminants as statedin the Water Framework Directive. Through the development of new physical, electrical andelectrochemicalwatertreatmenttechnologies,low-cost,low-investmentwastewatertreatmentwillbepossible.Thesetechnologieswillberobustandinsensitivetofoulingsincetheyarecombined


with,amongothers,newfluidizedbedUV-LEDreactors,ultrasoundtreatment,anddeterministicratchettechnology.Themestarted:2007.

11 | Source separated sanitationSource separation sanitation (SSS) is a concept in which waste streams with specificcharacteristics (e.g. urine, faeces, greywater, hospitalwaste streams) are collected, transportedand treated separately at the source.Hospitalwastewater, for instance, contains about 10 foldthe concentrations of pharmaceuticals inmunicipalwastewater and is considered an importantsource of antibiotic resistant bacteria. By treating (hospital) wastewater at the source the risksassociatedtowastewatercanbeaddressedmorespecificallyandeffectively,therebypreventingthespreadofantibioticresistantbacteriaandotherpathogensinthepopulationanddischargeoftoxiccomponentsintotheenvironment.Furthermore,sustainabilityobjectivessuchaswaterreuse,recoveryof resourcesandenergysavingscanalsobemoreeffectively reachedwithinSSS.Themainadvantageisthatsourceseparationpreventsdilutionofwastewaterstreams.Newtechnologymustbedevelopedtotreattheseconcentratedwastewaterstreams.ForthetreatmentofhospitalwastewateritisimportanttoremoveantibioticsandtodevelopadisinfectiontechnologyinwhichbacteriaarenotonlykilledbuttheirDNAisdestroyed.Themestarted:2004.

12 | Natural FlocculantsInthisthemethefocusisonthedevelopmentofnaturalalternativesforsyntheticorganicpolymericflocculants for treatmentof surfacewatersorwastewaters.Thesealternativeflocculants shouldovercome the disadvantages of synthetic polymers: produced from scarce fossil sources, non-specific, non-biodegradable andproduce large amounts of (toxic)waste that cannot be reusedin e.g. agriculture. Mixed extracellular polymers produced by microorganisms during biologicalwastewater treatment not only are more sustainable than synthetic polymers, indications arethattheyalsocangiveabetterflocculationperformance.Moreover,possiblyincombinationwithphysicalseparationtechnologysuchasmembranetreatment,naturalflocculantshaveapotentialapplicationtoremoveparticlesindrinkingwater,toproduceindustrialprocesswaterfromfreshorsalinesurfaceandwastewaters,totreatoil-containingwastewaters,toseparatealgaefromtheirmedium inalgaecultivationsystems, toassist in the retentionof valuablebiomass inbiologicalwastewatertreatmentprocesses,etc.Themestarted:2004.

13 | SulfurThis theme focuses on integrated processes for removal and conversion of volatile sulfurcompoundsfromaqueoussolutions.Theseaqueousareusedtoscrubvolatilesulfurcompoundsfrom oil and gas and have a high pH and salt concentration. The process scheme consists ofscrubbersandbioreactorsandaimsat removalof all volatile sulfur compounds like sulfideandthiols (e.g.methanethiol). Thewater consumption of this process can become zero by treatingthebleedstreamenablingrecyclingofallwater.Thescientificdisciplinesneededfordevelopmentofsuchan integratedprocessarechemistry,microbiology,biotechnologyandmodeling.Themestarted:2011.

14 | DehydrationThis theme focuses on enhancing the efficiency of dehydration processes. A key element forenhancing this efficiency is selective water vapor removal. This enables small scale waterproductionsystems that canproducewaterdirectly fromair at the locationwhere it is needed.Theapproachistousewatervaporselectivemembranestoseparatewaterdirectlyfromairbeforecoolingit.Inthiswayonlythewatervaporiscondensedwithoutproducingcoldair.Bythismeansupto60%ofenergycouldbesavedreducingthepriceofwatersignificantly.Thequalityofwaterisimproveddrasticallyasnopollutantscanpermeatethemembrane.SupercriticalCO2isappliedinfooddryingtechnologyasalternativetohotairdrying,vacuumdryingorfreezedrying.However,continuousoperationofsuchprocessrequiresefficientdehydrationofthe pressurizedCO2 stream.Water vapor selectivemembranes are used to efficiently separate


water fromaCO2stream.Membranedevelopment isneeded toproducemembraneswhichareresistantagainstCO2.Themestarted:2009.

15 | Blue EnergySustainable energy production is a huge challenge in our world. Obtaining energy fromenvironmentalresourceswillplayanimportantroleinfutureenergysupply.Forexample,electricitycanbeproducedfromadvancedmixingofsaltandfreshwaterinaprocesscalledreverseelectrodialysis,orblueenergy.Inthisvisionarythemeioniccurrenttechnologiesaredevelopedinwhichelectrochemistry,membrane technology, and process technology are combined in the researchprogram.Themestarted:2004.

16 | CO2 -energySociety is in need of alternative energy sources, to meet the growing demand of energy in amoresustainableway.Mixingenergy issuchanalternativeenergysourcesthathasbeenwidelyoverlookedandonlyexploredformixingfreshwaterwithseawater,theso-calledBlueEnergy.TheconcentrationofCO2ismuchhigherinthecombustionemission(5-20%)thanintheatmosphere(0.04%)meaningthatuponmixinga largeamountofenergy isreleased.Thisenergy iscurrentlywastedasuntil recentlyno technologywasavailable toharvest thisenergy. In2013 for thefirsttime a concept for such technology was presented by Wetsus researchers through laboratoryexperiments.Theprinciplesunderlyingthetechnologywerepostulated.Thisthemeaimsatfurtherdevelopingthistechnologicalconceptbycombining,physicalchemistry,materialsscienceandprocessengineering.Themestarted:2015. 17 | Phosphate RecoveryPhosphateisanimportantfertilizerneededforfoodproduction.Thesourcesarefiniteandminingandprocessingoftheoreisanenergyintensiveandpollutingprocess.Anappreciablepartofthephosphate in foodendsup in thewastewater andmanure.Currently chemicals andenergyareusedtoremovethephosphatefromthewastewaterasemissionsfromphosphatetothesurfacewaterisunwanted.Thisthemefocusesontechnologiestoremovephosphatefromwastewaterinsuchmannerthatthephosphatebecomesavailableasfertilizerandthewaterwillbeclean.Thethemewillfocusonexpandingandimprovingcurrenttechnologysothatmorephosphatecanbeatlowercosts,whileproducinghighvalueproducts.Themestarted:2013.

18 | AlgaeFocusof thealgae theme is sustainablebiotechnology for theproductionof valuableproducts.Algaearetheperfectcandidatestodothis:theyabsorbnutrientsandcarbondioxideandconvertthis into valuable biochemicals and oxygen, using light as the sole source of energy.However,todevelop this intoaneconomically feasible technology, improvementsneed tobemade in theconversionfromlightandmineralstobiochemicals.Thisisinvestigatedusingdifferentstrategiesto improve light colour, and the effects of light-dark cycles and light frequency on growth andproductyield.Forspecificproductssuchasproteinsorlipids,researchisdoneontheeffectsofspecific culture conditions. Furthermore, research is done on better integration of algae culturewith downstream processing, such as culturing algae in biofilms, bio- and auto-flocculation ofalgaeandscenariostudiesontheboundaryconditionsrequiredforthisintegration.Theenvisagedbreakthroughs in algae culture will enable closing of nutrient cycles, making it the sustainablebiotechnologyofthefuture.Themestarted:2008.

19 | Resource recoveryIn this themenewtechnologyrelatedto theharvestingofenergyandvaluablecompounds fromwastewaterisdeveloped.Ioniccurrenttechnologieswillbecombinedwithphysicalandchemicaltechnology to specifically recover compounds and produce energy.With technologies involvingmicrobial fuel cell andbiocatalyzed electrolysis, electricity or hydrogen is produced fromwastewater.Hydrogenproduction frombiocatalyzedelectrolysismakesamuchwidervarietyofwaste


waterssuitableforenergyharvesting.Thisisarevolutionarybreakthroughtechnologyinthefieldofbiologicalhydrogenproductionfromwastewater.Ioniccurrenttechnologieshavethepossibilitytocombineenergygenerationwithseparation.Forinstanceammoniacanbeseparatedfromurineandusedasafertilizerorasafuelforadditionalelectricitygeneration.Biologicalconversionofsolublesulfurcompoundscanbecombinedwithmetalrecoveryinasingleprocess.Co-precipitationwithinsitugeneratedprecipitantslikeironoxidesmakesitpossibletoadsorborincludecompoundslikeselenate.Selectiverecoveryofcomponentsviaspecificallydesignedadsorbentsarenecessarytorecoveronlythecompoundsofinterest.Theadsorption/desorptioncyclesneedtobereversibleand independent of other chemicals. Preferably light or electricity driven regeneration of theadsorptionmaterial isusedtoenablechemical-freeregenerationofadsorbents.Developmentoftechnologytodeveloptheseadvancedmaterialsisnecessarytospecificallyrecovercompoundsfromwastewaterinaneconomicalandsustainableway.Themestarted:2004.

20 | Protein from WaterThethemeProteinfromWateraimstodeveloptechnologiestoupgradenitrogenandothernutrientsfromwastewaterandmanureintovaluablemicrobialproteins.Thethemefocusesontechnologicalbreakthroughsneeded tocreatesustainableandeconomicallyproductionof singlecellproteinsand toensureproductsafety.High-qualitymicrobialproteinswillbeproducedefficientlyathighrateandcanbeappliedasasubstituteforproteinsinthefeedandfoodchainoriginatingfromsoyandfish.Thisconcepthasthepotentialtorevolutionizethewater-energy-foodnexus.Comparedtocurrent foodproduction, less landand lesswater isneededwhileoff-peakelectricitycanbeused.Themestarted:2015. 21 | SensoringTheSensoringthemeofWetsusfocusesonthedevelopmentofdevicesformonitoringthequality(composition)ofwater,whetherthatis,surfacewater,drinkingwaterorindustrialwastewater.Themotivationtodevelopreliablewaterqualitysensorsistwofold.First,fromthepointofviewofpublichealth,safedrinkingwaterisofutmostimportance.Secondly,thequalityofdischargedindustrialwastewater ismoreandmoredictatedbygovernmentalregulation, implyingtheneedtostrictlycontrol its quality. The technology appliedwithin this research theme ranges frommicrofluidicscombined with Raman spectroscopy to (waveguide) laser optics and acoustics. Whatever thetechniqueandwhateveritisasensortodetectpathogensorchemicaltoxins,thechallengealwaysis to develop a system that operates on-line and continuously, sensitive, fast and cheap. Thecurrentlyusedmethodofculturingandplatingoutinordertotestforthepresenceofpathogensmayserveasanexample.Thisanalysis is laboriousandtakesacoupleofdays,requiresskilledpersonnel and therefore is ratherexpensive.Thealternativeweworkon isbasedonanon-linerecordingablenotonlytotestforthepresenceofjustasinglebacteriacellin10mlofwaterbut,inaddition,alsoidentifiestheparticularbacteriaspecieswearedealingwith.Themestarted:2006.

22 | Genomic based water quality monitoringTheapplicationofdirectcellcounts(microscopicandflowcytometry)hasshownthattheculturablemicroorganismsinwaterareonlypresentingafractionofthetotalmicrobialpopulation(<1%)andthatmostofthecellsseemtobeactive.Drinkingwatersources,treatmentanddistributionhaveanenormousimpactonthe(micro)biologicalcomposition/qualityofthedrinkingwaterproducedanddistributedThemainquestioniswhetherit ispossibletopredictandcontrolthechangesinbiologicalqualityandstabilityofdrinkingwatercausedbychanges indrinkingwaterprocesses.Within this theme the focus will be on generating fingerprints (sometimes called barcoding orbarcodes)ofthecompletemicrobialpopulationpresentin(drinking)waterbasedonNextGenerationSequencing (NGS).With this theeffectofdisturbanceson thefingerprint canbeexaminedandindicatororganisms/markerscanbecharacterized.Thefinalaim is todevelopapplications foraprecise(online)monitoring/controlofwaterqualityandwatertreatmentprocesses.Themestarted:2013.


6. InternationalizationWetsus’ internationalization vision issummarizedinthedropletschemeontheright.

The objective is to create a strong Europeanknow-how network for water technologybusiness and research. This network iscurrently formed by over 125 organizations.The network is created around an integratedwater technology campus (WaterCampusLeeuwarden), which acts as the physical coreof the network. In and around WaterCampus,facilities like a multidisciplinary laboratory anddemonstrationsitesarelocated.Aconcentrationof research, know-how, entrepreneurship,venture capital, talent and education is beingcreated on WaterCampus Leeuwarden. Thisforms the critical mass for the program. Inthe Wetsus laboratory in Leeuwarden, about120 international professionals work on watertechnologyinnovations.

European Centre of ExcellenceWetsuscombinesadedicatedpublic-privateinternationalresearchprogramwiththeEUpolicyofsmartregionalinnovationstrategiesforsmartspecialization(RIS3).TheheartofWetsus’activitiesistheexecutionofitsdemanddrivenresearchprogramonwatertechnology.Companiesparticipatewithalong-termcommitmenttodevelopbreakthroughtechnologies.Withanincreasingnumberofinternationalcompaniesandinstitutesparticipating(some25%ofthepartnersisnon-Dutch),theprogramhasclearlydevelopedbeyondtheregionalandnationalscale.FurtherEuropeanisationisenhancedbyparticipating inEuropeanresearchand innovationprojects invariousEUprograms(Horizon2020,EITClimate-KIC,EITRawMaterials,COSME,Interreg,EuropeanFundforRegionalDevelopment)andthroughcollaborationwithWssTP,ERRINandEIPWater.

A long-term focusonaspecific theme,with thecoreactivitiesconcentrated inaphysicalplaceisessential for theestablishmentofaEuropeanCentreofExcellence.ForadecadeWetsushasshown how the former Technological Top Institute PPP-model of TheNetherlands can form anexcellentbasisforacenterofexcellence.Relevantresearchandvalidationofresearchresults isguaranteedbytheconnectedcompanies,andthisalsoensuresthecouplingwithinnovativeSMEs.Theconnectionwith55topprofessorsfromalloverEuropeensureshighqualityscientificoutput.

With its world class research facilities, high trust cooperation structure and dedicated IPRregulations,Wetsusprovidesthemuch-neededlinkbetweenthescientistsandthemostinnovativecompaniesintheregion,theStateandEurope.Long-termcommitmentsoftheinvolvedprofessors,companies and relevant governments, in order to achieve breakthrough water technology, isessential. With all this established, Wetsus can be a global niche player, boosting Europeancompetitivenessinthisfield.

Linking this bundled innovation capacity to companies from other sectors or regions with acomplementaryRIS3 strategy, can lead to cross-sectorial innovations that contribute to solvingmajor societal challenges. Wetsus fulfills the role of European Centre of Excellence with a

WaterCampus

EU know-how network

Nationalcooperation

Global Impact


proven capacity of generatingworld class knowledge, interestingpatents, competitive spin-offsand supports growth and jobs development across the EU. In doing so,Wetsus contributes tothe desired outcome of effective RIS3 strategies: delivering European economic growth andcompetitiveness.

TheEuropeanwatersector,oftencharacterizedasfragmented,hasfoundafocalpointinWetsus.Timetomarkethasbeenreduced,investmentsinstart-upshaveincreased,industryislong-termcommittedandworldclassresearch isachieved.Thecombinedmomentumofregional,nationaland EU funding increase the critical mass of the water technology research program. Wetsusstrivestobecomeandstaythemostintegratedprogramforthisemergingindustryintheworld.

Meeting of international mindsTheactivities in thefieldofeducationaim to increase thenumberofyoungprofessionals in theinternational water technology community and simultaneously support a strong mobility ofknowledge-workersintheEuropeanlabourmarket.TheseactivitiesalsoresultinameetingplaceformasterandPhD-studentsandtheirprofessorsfromacrosstheEuropeanUnion.Aplacewherewatertechnologymindsmeetandinspireeachother.Currently,some60%ofthescientificstaff,researchersandstudentsarefromoutsidetheNetherlands.


7. Organization and Finance7.1.OrganizationandManagementLegal form and managementWetsusisanot-for-profitfoundation,withthemainobjectivetoorganizeandcarryoutanationallyandinternationallyrelevant,demandoriented,pre-competitive,industrial,multidisciplinaryresearchprograminthefieldofwatertechnology,andtoorganizethefinancingthereof.

Wetsusismanagedbyitsexecutiveboard.ThisBoardisformedbyatwo-personexecutive,prof.dr.ir.CeesBuismanandJohannesBoonstra.Together,BuismanandBoonstraareanexperienced(inbothbusinessandacademicroles)andcomplementaryteamthathasbuiltthecurrentWetsusorganization,researchprogram,participantnetworkandreputation.

The participating organizations are represented in the Wetsus supervisory board. This boardconsists of four members appointed by company participants, four members appointed byknowledgeinstitutesandtwoindependentmembers,thechairandvice-chair.

OrganizationWetsus’ international research program is coordinated by a multidisciplinary team of Wetsusscientists.The research ismainlyperformedbyPhD-students,employedandsupervisedby theparticipatinginternationalknow-howinstitutes.Theseresearchersaretypicallyfulltimesecondedin the Wetsus organization. The PhD students work in Wetsus’ multidisciplinary laboratory onWaterCampusLeeuwarden,whereamultidisciplinaryteamofscientiststakescareoftheirdaytodaysupervision.IntheWetsuslab,dedicatedanalystsandtechniciansensurethe24/7availabilityofworldclassresearchfacilitiesfortheresearchprogram.

Wetsus employs staff to manage and facilitate the execution of the research program and toperformtheactivitiesinthefieldsofeducationandentrepreneurship.Inaddition,asmallstaffteamensuresdedicatedsupportandcontrolfunctions.

Supervisory Board

Executive Board

Company Participants Know-How Institutes

Program Council

Scientific Staff

Research

ResearchTheme 1

ResearchTheme 2

ResearchTheme etc.

Education & TalentEntrepreneurship

StimulationFigure 7.1: Organization of Wetsus and its program. The blue areas are directly influenced by the Wetsus participants


CommunicationInorder tostay inclosecontactwith itsparticipants,other importantstakeholders,andsociety,Wetsusputssignificanteffortinprofessionalcommunication:• Generalandprogramdevelopmentsarecommunicatedthroughmeanssuchasnewsletters,

website,brochures,annualreports,etc.• Relevanttechnologicaldevelopmentsforsocietyarebroadlycommunicatedthrough

newspapers,television,internet,socialmedia,dedicatedmagazines,etc.• Scientificresultsarecommunicatedthroughworkshops,conferences,publicationsin

internationalpeerreviewedjournals,patents,etc.

Obviously,aconfidentialitypolicyisinplacefordiscussionaboutclassifiedbusinessandscientificinformationbetweenthepartnersthattogetherconstitutetheWetsusnetwork.

7.2.FinancialAspectsFunding of innovation ecosystem activitiesFor itsactivities inthefieldofvalorization,entrepreneurship,spinoffsandtalent,Wetsuscloselyworks with Water Alliance and CEW, its WaterCampus partners. For the financing of theseactivities,dedicatedfundingisexpectedtobemadeavailablebytheregionalauthorities.AjointWaterCampusbudgetofsome€1,7millionperyearhasbeenrequested,fortheperioduntil2021.TheWetsusshareofthisbudgetwillbesome€500.000peryear.

Research fundingThebelowtableshowstheenvisagedresearchfundingfortheperioduntil2021.Adivisionismadebetweentheresearchfundsforprojectfinancingthatcanbewonincompetition(suchasHorizon2020)andthefundsforthefinancingoftheWetsuscoreresearchprogram.ThisfundingstrategyisalignedwiththeDutchTopsectorWaterboard.Inthetable,underlinednumbershavebeensecuredand normally printed numbers are expected based on discussion and/or experience. The 2015figuresarepreliminary.

Research competition EUWetsusexpectstoallocatesome€1,75millionperyearfromvariousEUprogramsforinnovationand regional economical development programs (Horizon2020, EIT,COSME, Interreg, EuropeanFundforRegionalDevelopment).AdditionalfundsaretobederivedfromaprogramforwideningcooperationintheEU(TTI-transitionfunds)andfrombilateralcooperationwithregionsthathavewatertechnologyasoneoftheirambitionsintheirEURISstrategy.

Wetsus Research programFor its research funding, Wetsus continues to work according to the TTI principles (companycontributionisdoubledbygovernmentsubsidies,anduniversitiesaddasignificantamountinkind).Startingpointforthecoreresearchfinancingisthatabasefinancingof€6,5millionperyearfromgovernments,increasedby50%ofthatamountbycompaniesandwithadditionalinkindsupportfromuniversities,isrequiredtomaintainthecurrentimpact,quality,attractivenessandviability.

Theparticipatingcompaniesanduniversitieshavea rollingfinancialcommitmentandwill investsome€5,8millionperyearintheprogram.ThemaingovernmentresearchfundingisderivedfromREPfunds,madeavailablethroughregionalauthoritiesuntil2021.Additionalresearchfundingisexpectedtobecontinuedbytwoministries.From2017onwards,Wetsuswillstart tocooperatewithNWO,theDutchOrganisationforScientificResearch.In2016thefirstcallforjointprojectsisexpectedtobeissued.Regionalfundsareusedforthefinancingoftheresearchinfrastructureandothercriticalfacilitiestoenabletheprogramtobeexecutedinaworldclassresearchenvironment.

Inthetable,anoutlooktothefinancingafter2021 isprovided.Discussionsabouttheambitionsthatfollowfromthathavealreadybeenstartedwiththerelevantactors.


Envisaged research budgets and financing Wetsus 2015-2020 (in million €)2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

outlook

EUcentreofexcellence

Overallbudgetscientificprogram 14,9 15,1 15,5 15,6 15,3 15,4 15,5

ResearchcompetitionEU

Totalbudget: 2,1 2,5 2,4 2,2 1,9 1,9 2,0

Financesources

Researchcompetitionfunds 1,50 1,75 1,75 1,75 1,75 1,75 1,75

Ministryofeconomicaffairs(tti-transitionfunds) 0,60 0,65 0,55 0,30

EUregions 0,05 0,10 0,10 0,10 0,10 0,20

WetsusResearchProgram

Totalbudget/costs 12,8 12,6 13,1 13,4 13,4 13,5 13,5

Financesources

Privatecontributions(>80%cash) 3,30 3,30 3,30 3,40 3,40 3,50 3,50

Contributionsknowhowinstitutes(inkind) 2,50 2,30 2,30 2,50 2,50 2,50 2,50

MinistryofEconomicAffairs(TKIsubsidy) 0,73 0,75 0,75 0,75 0,75 0,75 1,25

MinisteryofInfrastructureandEnvironment 0,50 0,50 0,50 0,50 0,50 0,50

NWO(NetherlandsOrganisationforScientificResearch) 0,50 0,50 0,50 0,50 2,00

REP-programNorthernNetherlands 4,75 4,75 4,75 4,75 4,75 4,75

ProvinceofFryslân(researchinfrastructure) 1,00 1,00 1,00 1,00 1,00 1,00 1,00

ProvinceofFryslân(researchfunding) 3,25

Division of BudgetThetotalbudgetisavailablefortheactivitiescontainedinthisbusinessplan.Inthebelowtable,theexpecteddivisionofthebudgetoverthemainactivitiesisprovided.

Envisaged division of budget (%)Scientificprojects 79

Talentprogram 3

Wetsuscore* 13

Housing(labsandoffices) 5

* network management, support & control, knowledge transfer, internationalisation


8. Impact and Output 8.1.NewcollaborationmodelThereturnoninvestmentfromthisbusinessplanwillbeaworldleadingpositionfortheEUinwatertreatmenttechnology,bothfortheknow-howinstitutesandforthecompanies.Atthesametime,theresultingtechnologieswillcontributesignificantlytothesolutionoftheglobalwatercrisisandtheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.

Producingcleanwaterisacomplexmatter,becausewatertreatmenttechnologyisatechnologysectorwhichisextremelymultidisciplinary.Safewaterwillhavephysical,chemicalandbiologicalaspects.ThereforeWetsusaimstocreatetalentmobilitybetweenuniversities.Nosingleuniversitycancopewithall thenecessarydisciplinesandmanyuniversities focusonaspecificaspectofwatertechnology.Therefore,cooperationisastrictnecessity.Scientistsfromdifferentuniversities,fromdifferentcountriesanddifferentdisciplineswork,toalargeextentphysically,togetherintheWetsusresearchprogram.Theyworkonproblemsdefinedbycompaniesandotherstakeholders.Inthiscooperationtheirworkisrelativelymuchmorerelevantandcreative.Theproposedset-upleadstoahightrust,highcommitmentcollaborationbetweenmorethan150partnersandwilldistinguishitselfthisway.

8.2.NewtechnologiesforsocietyTheworldwidewatertechnologybusinessisestimatedat€500billionperyear,withagrowthofmorethan10%peryear.Thedevelopedknow-howinWetsuswillputtheEUwatersectorinaverycompetitivepositionontheglobalmarketplace.

TheenvisagedWetsusprogramwillleadto90patents,25newtechnologiesand35newcompaniesin2020.Morethan€75millionwilldirectlybeinvestedinresearchatWetsus.Amultiplierofthisamountisexpectedtobeinvestedinresearchanddevelopmentattheparticipatingcompaniesforthevalorizationoftheresults.Alsoasignificantventurecapitalinvestmentisenvisaged.Allthiswillleadtonewandsustainablesolutionsfortheglobalsocietalwaterproblems.Thiswillnotonlyleadtoimprovedqualityandavailabilityofwaterresources,butalsotosignificantnewbusinessforthewatersector.

The innovationchain in thewaterbusiness is rathercomplexdue to the largepublic interest inwatersupplyandenvironmentalprotection.Duetothelargepopulationincrease,increasedwealth,groundwaterdepletionandclimatechangemoreandmorecountriesexperienceawatercrisis.Thedemandsideforbusinessopportunitiesisthereforeveryinteresting.Consumersallovertheworldbecomeawareofconsumerproductsthatcontributetotheshorttermhealth(bacteriaandviruses),longtermhealth(toxiccompoundsandmedicinerests)andesthetic(taste,color,specialphysicalaspects)characteristicsofwater.Industriesrealizetheimportanceofwaterduetowatershortageandgroundwaterdepletion,leadingtoincreasedinterestinwaterreusetechnologies.Biodiversityinwaterbodiesisthreatenedbywaterpollutionurginggovernmentstoinstallmorestrictdischargestandardsallovertheworldleadingtodemandforpurificationtechnologies.

ThesedemanddriverswillintheWetsusprogrambetranslatedintobusinessoptionsbycommercialcompanies who will be the suppliers to the end users, being governmental water authorities,publicwatercompanies,consumersorindustrialwaterusers.Thecommercialcompaniescanbesegmentedinseveralgroups:


• Specializedwatertechnologycompaniesfocusingonexportingknowledgeandspecialequipment

• Componentproducerslikeelectrodes,activatedcarbon,membranes,sensors• Watertechnologyconsultants• Producersofconsumerproducts• Multinationalswithwatertechnologybusinesses• Start-upsandnewventures

8.3.ResearchexcellenceMultidisciplinary research isdifficult toorganize.Wetsus invites researchers (forPhDprojectsof4 years) fromdifferent disciplines towork together in one geographical location,WaterCampusLeeuwarden. This multidisciplinary approach, combined with the fact that Wetsus works withleadingchairs inEurope, leadsto topresearch.Thecitation impactof theWetsusprogramuntil2015was 2.4,which is ofworld class level.Wetsus aims for a very high scientific impact andthereforethecitationimpactobjectiveofthenewprogramisatleast1.5timesbetterthantheworldaverage,basedonmorethan700producedscientificpapers.

Wetsus’ initiative will liberate enough impact, connectedness, synergy, talent and researchinvestmentstobecometheworld’snumber1inwatertechnology.

8.4NewkindofPhDgraduatesAtWetsus,PhD’sfromover50knowhowdisciplinesphysicallycooperatein1researchlaboratory.Thisway people fromdifferentbackgrounds learn tocooperateand tounderstandandbenefitfrom each other’s knowledge. Further, PhD-candidates have regular contact with the involvedcompaniesintheprogram,enablingthemtodevelopanindustryorientation.

Wetsus’ambitiontocombinescientificexcellencewithcommercialrelevancedemandsanewanddedicatedapproachtowardsthepersonaldevelopmentoftheinvolvedPhD-candidates.BecausetheWetsus systemdemands a special attitude of the researchers, a broad training is required.WetsusoffersitstrainingontopofthescientifictrainingwhichisprovidedbytheuniversitythePhDstudent isconnectedto.TheWetsustraining iscenteredaround insight into fourpillarsofone’sownpersonaldevelopment:talents,values,independenceandconnection.• Insightinone’stalentsisneededtodeterminewhereonecancontributeandwhereoneneeds

support.Thisisespeciallyneededinamultidisciplinaryenvironmentwhereanopenattitudetowardsotherdisciplinesisneeded.

• Insightinone’svaluesisneededtosteerinsituationswherecommonrulesnotstrictlyapply.ThisistruefortechnologyitselfbutalsoforavaluebasedorganizationlikeWetsus.

• Autonomyisneededtomakeclearchoices.Thisisimportantaswatertechnologyisarapidlyevolvingfieldwithmanyopportunitiestopursue.

• Connectionisneededtocooperateinameaningfulwaywithotherslikesupervisors,students,fellowscientistsofotherdisciplines,companiesandtechnicalsupport.Connectionisrootedininsightinone’sowntalentsandvaluesbutalsoinseeingdifferenceswithothersandknowinghowtousethesedifferencesinafruitfulway.

Bycombiningtheseelementsinaninsightfulway,thePhDcandidateisabledeveloptheleadershipneeded tobridgescientificexcellenceandcommercial relevance. ThegraduatedWetsusPhD’swillthereforebeuniquelytrainedforinnovativeleadershippositionsinmultidisciplinaryteams,bothinindustryanduniversities.

8.5.OutputOnthenextpage,theperformancecriteriafortheperioduntil2020arelisted.

Thecriteriafrom2016onwardsarebasedupontheenvisagedavailableresearchbudget. InthistableWetsus’ambitionsarequantifiedbyasummaryoftheenvisagedoutputofthisbusinessplan.


Perf

orm

ance

indi

cato

rs W

etsu

s20

07

reali

zed

2008

re

alize

d20

09

reali

zed

2010

reali

zed

2011

reali

zed

2012

reali

zed

2013

reali

zed

2014

reali

zed

2015

reali

zed

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Inpu

t

Prog

rambud

get(mln€)

7.0

9.2

11.7

13.2

13.8

15.7

1616

14.9

15.1

15.5

15.6

15.3

15.4

Con

tribu

tionofcom

paniesto

researchprogram

me(mln€)

2.3

2.8

3.0

3.4

3.6

3.8

3.6

3.3

3.3

3.3

3.3

3.4

3.4

3.5

Overhead(%

)11

1010

1010

1010

1010

1010

1010

10

Net

wor

k Num

bero

fparticipatingcompa

nies

5366

7886

9295

9395

105

107

109

111

113

115

PercentageofS

MEcompa

nies(turno

ver<

€100m

ln/y)

3451

5456

5554

5456

5750

5050

5050

Percentageofforeign

com

panies

1720

2023

2524

2627

2829

30

Num

bero

fparticipatingresearchchairs

1725

3338

4546

4852

5450

5050

5050

Num

bero

fpub

lickno

wledg

einstitutes(participants)

68

1416

1618

1919

2121

2121

2121

Impa

ct, O

utpu

t and

Out

com

e

Educ

atio

n

Num

bero

fPhD

candida

tesandpo

st-docs

4460

90102

117

131

148

163

179

188

203

218

233

250

Num

bero

fjointdegreestud

ents

108

1511

2123

3036

4042

4447

50

Num

bero

fMSc

thesisstude

nts/year

2146

3771

6180

7672

7980

8080

8080

Num

bero

ftalente

vents

1020

1919

1620

2525

2525

2525

Scie

ntifi

c Num

bero

fscientifcpa

persininternationaljou

rnals(cum

ulative)

1939

66121

176

234

294

376

425

480

535

590

645

700

Num

bersofp

apersinto

p10%citations(cum

ulative-1

y)45

6780

107

113

120

127

134

140

Citationimpa

ct(overall)

2.5

1.9

1.8

2.4

2.8

2.4

very

high

very

high

very

high

very

high

very

high

very

high

Valo

rizat

ion/

entre

pren

eurs

hip

Num

bero

fspin-off

com

panies(cum

ulative)

33

915

1720

2426

2728

3031

3335

Num

bero

fpatents(sub

mitted

,filedandgranted)(cum

ulative)

1322

3239

5361

6467

7679

8285

8890

Num

bero

ftransferre

dpa

tents(cum

ulative)

34

714

1422

2226

2730

3437

4145

New

techno

logies(cum

ulative)

25

Optimiza

tionexistingtechno

logies(cum

ulative)

20

Performance indicators


Appendix: Participants (March, 2016)

www.aquanirvanafoundation.com

www.alliander.nl

www.abengoawater.com

www.anglianwater.co.uk/

www.aquabattery.nl

www.aquacare.nl

www.algaefoodfuel.com

www.arcadis.nl

www.avebe.nl

www.biotrack.nl

www.avecom.be

www.bersonuv.comwww.aaenmaas.nl

www.dow.com

www.dcwater.com

www.dirkse-milieutechniek.com

www.brabantwater.nl

www.brightspark.nl

www.kwrwater.nl

www.desah.nl

desah

www.brabantsedelta.nl

www.dommel.nl


www.duplaco.com

www.evides.nl

www.esco-salt.com

www.easymeasure.nl

www.efc.nl

www.frieslandcampina.com

www.defriesland.nl

www.feyecon.com

www.fujifilm.nl

www.a-hak.nl

www.grundfos.com

www.acquaint.eu

www.h2motion.nl

www.grander.at

www.magneto.nl

www.kemira.com

www.landustrie.nl

www.lionixbv.nl

www.hubert.nl

www.heineken.nl

www.laborelec.be

www.integro.nl

www.icl-group.com

www.izore.nl

www.vanderknaap.eu

www.mastcarbon.co.uk


www.paques.nl

www.oosterhof-holman.nl

www.oasen.nl

www.paqell.com

www.x-flow.com

www.shellglobalsolutions.nl

www.stowa.nl

www.somut.nl

www.schauberger-natur-technik.at

Schauberger Natur Technik

NX Filtration

pure green

www.pwn.nl

www.redstack.nl

www.vecoprecision.com

www.waternet.nl

www.hunzeenaas.nl

www.noorderzijlvest.nl

www.wetterskipfryslan.nl

www.yara.com

www.waterbedrijfgroningen.nl

www.voltea.com

www.vitens.nl

www.wmd.nl

www.wln.nl

www.trojanuv.com

www.unilever.nl

www.sweco.nl


Platform participants (March, 2016)

www.vhl.com

www.bioclear.nl

www.aquatechtrade.com

www.brightwork.nl

www.biostream-international.com

www.cew-leeuwarden.nl

www.energyvalley.nl

www.ews.eu

www.kurita.co.jp/english

www.izer.frl

www.hhnk.nl

www.biocompact.nl

www.ge.com

www.highvoltagewater.com

HAPSS

www.metalmembranes.com

www.vanremmen.nl

www.rabobank.nl

www.skion.de

www.tcnn.nl

www.wateralliance.nl

www.wml.nl

www.veoliawater.com

www.wafilin.nl

www.royalhaskoning.com

www.corbion.com

www.O2env.com

www.empower-people.nl

www.sabic.com

www.zuiderzeeland.nl


Know-how institute participants(March, 2016)

www.deltares.nl

en.ktu.lt

www3.imperial.ac.uk

www.tudelft.nl

www.kwrwater.nl

www.tue.nl

www.fom.nl

www.muni.cz

www.rug.nl

www.rivm.nl

www.tugraz.at

www.ugent.be

www.uu.nl

www.umcg.nl

www.uni-duisburg-essen.de

www.uminho.pt

www.pwr.wroc.pl

www.wur.nl

www.uva.nl

www.unesco-ihe.org

www.universiteittwente.nl

Wetsus, European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology is a facilitating intermediary for trend-setting know-how development. Wetsus creates a unique environment and strategic cooperation for development of profitable and sustainable state of the art water treatment technology. The inspiring and multidisciplinary collaboration between companies and research institutes in Wetsus results in innovations that contribute significantly to the solution of the global water problems.

www.wetsus.eu www.watercampus.nl

Documents

Businessplan 2016-2020€¦ · This business plan describes Wetsus’ strategy for the 2016-2020 period, and is the successor of the Wetsus 20013-2017 business plan. The starting