Projects

In a world constantly searching for energy and resources and at the mercy of climate change, the treatment of wastewater from agri-food and livestock supply chains represents a pressing problem. These supply chains are in fact, responsible for 92% of global water consumption, and their wastewater, if not appropriately treated, causes strong environmental impacts, such as eutrophication of water bodies and coastal pollution. At the same time, agri-food supply chains consume large quantities of fertilizers, often produced with unsustainable processes (significant emissions, use of petrochemical derivatives, etc.). The demand for fertilizers is continuously growing, as it is closely linked to population growth, and the sector has already experienced an exponential increase in costs in recent years. The “vision” from which the project came to life was the possibility of switching this series of interconnected problems into an opportunity for innovation that aims to simultaneously reduce both the costs of wastewater treatment and the use of primary resources, aiming, therefore, to an improvement in the environmental sustainability of the supply chains involved. The VisioNing project proposes a bimodular, economical and effective system conceived and designed for the purification of these types of wastewater and for the simultaneous recovery of the nutrients contained in them, which can be directly reused as fertilizers or soil improvers. The VisioNinig project proposes an innovative, sustainable and low-cost process, capable of offering a simple and fast response even to water demand in areas at high risk of drought and in remote areas of the planet where access to clean water is still a long way off mirage. The proposed “vision” will be made reality thanks to an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary team, made up of: Ermelinda Falletta and Daniela Meroni (Department of Chemistry), Andrea Goglio and Fabrizio Adani (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences), Stefania Marzorati and Mirko Magni ( Department of Environmental Science and Policy)

An ambitious project for wastewater remediation funded by Velux Stiftung (Switzerland). SUNFLOAT identifies an inexpensive and sustainably manufactured device that exploits sunlight to produce drinkable water. SUNFLOAT is the visionary solution to provide clean water for everyone.

Collaboration with Iris Ceramica Group in the field of photocatalytic technologies applied to building materials and in particular to photocatalytic ceramic slabs.

Collaboration with Rebeldynamics in the field of eco-design of processes and products using LCA calculations.

Participation in the Steering Committee of NanoInnovation 2021 that represents the national meeting place for the wide and multidisciplinary community involved in the development of nanotechnologies and their integration with other key enabling technologies (KETs), in all application fields.