The AquaLoops4Med project consolidates its execution phase with the implementation of the pilots and the support to companies through the Open Call
The European project AquaLoops4Med, led by the Catalan Water Partnership, is advancing in a decisive phase of its development with the launch of its demonstration pilots, the holding of a strategic meeting of the consortium in Greece and the promotion of its Open Call aimed at innovative companies. This set of actions consolidates the project as a key initiative to accelerate the transition towards circular water management models in the Mediterranean agri-food sector, in a context marked by water scarcity and the need for sustainable solutions.
The pilots of the project are launched
In this context, the project has completed the construction and commissioning of its demonstration pilots, designed to test circular water management solutions in real conditions within the Mediterranean agri-food sector.
In Thessaly (Greece), at the Fresh Milk dairy farm, located in Chrysavgi near Trikala, two complementary solutions have been deployed. On the one hand, an innovative rainwater harvesting system, designed and built by HYDRASPIS and fully operational from February 2026, which combines the collection of water from the warehouse roof with a subsurface collector inspired by nature. The collected water is stored in flexible tanks and reused for irrigation of crops for livestock and to cover other non-potable needs of the farm, reducing dependence on conventional water resources. On the other hand, in March 2026, the NTUA and AERIS teams launched a fully automated livestock wastewater treatment system, which combines anaerobic treatment for biogas production, nitrogen removal and UV disinfection. The resulting reclaimed water will be used to irrigate crops for livestock, closing the farm’s water cycle. A third innovative subsystem, based on solid-phase fermentation, is operated from AERIS’ facilities in Catalonia to treat solid waste.
At the same time, on a farm near Potenza, in Basilicata (Italy), an innovative pilot has been implemented that combines a microalgae culture specially selected by the Bioinnova SME, coupled with a biochar filtration system developed by the University of Basilicata for the treatment of cheese whey. This system allows reclaimed water to be obtained for reuse in agricultural irrigation trials. From spring onwards, the effect of irrigation with reclaimed water on tomato crops will be studied, with risk assessment studies on human health carried out by the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA).
The implementation of these pilots will generate key data to demonstrate the potential of water recovery, treatment and reuse in the construction of more resilient agri-food systems in Mediterranean regions with water scarcity.
The consortium meets in Greece to plan the next actions of the project and strengthen relations between the members of the consortium
The progress of the project was recently shared at a consortium meeting held in Greece. After a follow-up meeting with the Project Advisor in Athens, the partners travelled to Lake Plastira (Thessaly) to hold the fourth face-to-face consortium meeting. During the sessions, the status of the Open Call, the technical progress of the different work packages and the evolution of the pilots, who are in the starting phase of their operation, were reviewed.
The meeting also included presentations by key players in the territory, such as the Association of Industries of Thessaly and Central Greece, which provided its vision on the local industrial ecosystem, and the CluBE – Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia, which shared experiences in promoting the bioeconomy and environmental innovation. In addition, the participants made a technical visit to the Plastira Lake dam and the pilot of the project located at the Fresh Milk farm, near Trikala, where they were able to learn first-hand about the progress of the demonstration activities.
The project closes the Open Call for cascading funding
At the same time, the project promotes business participation through its Open Call, aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Catalonia, Basilicata (Italy), Thessaly and Attica (Greece) in the development and validation of innovative solutions for circular and sustainable water management in the agri-food field through a cascade financing mechanism. The selected companies will be able to obtain funding of up to €60,000 per company, with a total budget of €850,000 for the call as a whole. The projects, which will last eight months, should contribute to the demonstration, scale-up and commercialisation of these solutions in collaborative interregional contexts.
The call, which closes on March 27, represents an opportunity for companies and start-ups to be part of the AquaLoops4Med ecosystem and accelerate the arrival of innovative solutions in the agri-food sector to the market.
AquaLoops4Med aims to promote the transition towards a more sustainable and circular water management model, promoting the reuse of water and the development of new value chains in the agri-food sector, thus contributing to facing the challenges arising from water scarcity and climate change in the Mediterranean.
AquaLoops4Med is coordinated by the Catalan Water Partnership and has the participation of a large Euro-Mediterranean consortium made up of the following entities: AERIS, ICRA, IRTA, WE&B, the National Polytechnic University of Athens (NTUA), AGENSO, Hydraspis, the University of Basilicata, BIOINNOVA, the municipality of Lake Plastira, Fresh Milk and ARPAB. The project is funded by the European Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) programme of the European Commission, aimed at promoting interregional innovation.
