A research centre in Tarragona, Spain, designed to accelerate commercialization of membrane- based water technologies, particularly for desalination, was opened by Dow Water & Process Solutions (DWPS) on 9 June 2011.
The Global Water Technology Development Center was funded through a US$ 15 million Dow investment, along with grant subsidies from Spain’s Ministry of Science & Innovation for research programs in the water sector, which is in line with the Spanish government’s commitment to research and development in the field of sustainable water supplies.
Initial research efforts will be directed to areas such as:
“This center represents a significant investment for Dow. It’s a one-of-a-kind facility staffed with leading industry experts to meet one of the world’s most pressing needs – clean water,” said Ian Barbour, general manager, DWPS. “The central location is ideal to support our customers in the region and gives us access to the wide variety of water sources, including waste water and seawater, to support product development and performance testing in real world conditions.”