Facsa and UJI renew the agreement for the Facsa Chair of Innovation in the Integrated Water Cycle

The rector of the Universitat Jaume I, Eva Alcón, and the president of FacsaEnrique Gimeno, have signed the renewal for three years of the agreement to continue with the activities of the Facsa Chair of Innovation in the Integrated Water Cycle.

The event was also attended by the Vice-Rector for Innovation and Transfer, David Cabedo; the Director of the Chair, Sergio Chiva; and the Councilor of Gimeno GroupElena Llopis and the R&D&I director of FACSA, José Guillermo Berlanga.

The Rector of Universitat Jaume I, Eva Alcón, stated that "the Chair has become a key area of ​​collaboration between the University and Facsa to promote training, research, outreach, and public awareness initiatives in a strategic field such as the efficient and sustainable management of water. Furthermore, the renewal of the agreement will allow us to continue advancing innovative solutions in water management, raise public awareness about responsible consumption, and open new avenues for action."

For his part, the president of Facsa, Enrique Gimeno, expressed his gratitude to the team and highlighted that the Chair has become established over the years, not only as an initiative for scientific study and dissemination, but also as a space "with great research capacity to promote innovation and digital transformation applied to the water sector."

During its nine years of existence, this chair has carried out extensive outreach work to promote knowledge on water-related topics, through dozens of conferences, more than twenty seminars, awareness campaigns, training courses, and other activities. It also maintains a research grant program and awards prizes for the best undergraduate and master's theses, which have helped more than 200 students at Jaume I University develop their talents.

He also leads important projects such as Water UJI and DIFERA, both focused on water management and reuse. Currently, Water UJI is analyzing the health and tourism sectors, seeking common synergies with other groups at the UJI and organizations in the province; while DIFERA is studying the influence of irrigation with reclaimed water on mandarin trees at an experimental farm in Vila-real.

Among the initiatives to raise awareness of the culture of respect and appreciation for water, in 2023 the following stand out: the "Tria l'aixeta" campaign, the World Water Day event and the Water Rockets Contest, which in its second edition has managed to double the participation figures with nearly 400 students from educational centers in the province of Castellón and Valencia.

During the next academic year (2024-2027), the Chair will continue its annual outreach activities aimed at students, professionals, and the general public to promote knowledge about water. In addition, alongside these activities, the Facsa-UJI Chair will promote initiatives to enhance the value of the province's historical hydraulic heritage, foster collaboration among representatives of public administration, businesses, and research institutions to support them in finding solutions to future challenges, and, of course, raise awareness through public awareness campaigns.