As part of the National Water Day celebrations, SIMARSUL stood out by participating in two consortia responsible for winning projects in the 4th edition of InovaPro, the internal innovation contest of the Águas de Portugal Group. The winning projects were BioProcess Intelligence (BPI) and Academia Operacional: Intelligent Model for Capturing, Transferring, and Accessing Technical-Operational Knowledge.
The award ceremony took place on September 29th at the headquarters of the Águas de Portugal Group in Lisbon. The event coincided with the Group's 33rd anniversary and preceded National Water Day, observed on October 1st. During the session, the four selected projects were presented, and the next edition of the contest was launched.
SIMARSUL will be responsible for coordinating the BioProcess Intelligence (BPI) project, developed in partnership with Águas do Tejo Atlântico. This project aims to integrate advanced microbiological analysis into the operational management of biological reactors in Wastewater Treatment Plants (ETAR), transforming genetic sequencing data into useful information for decision support.
The BPI proposes to identify the core microbiome in aerobic secondary treatment systems through comparative analysis between facilities with different operational contexts. It will also assess the impact of seasonal variation on microbial diversity to develop a microbiological indicator applicable to process management.
Furthermore, SIMARSUL participates, alongside Águas Públicas do Alentejo, in the consortium led by Águas do Centro Litoral for the development of the Academia Operacional project. This initiative seeks to create an intelligent platform to support field work, focusing on water supply and sanitation pumping stations.
The platform will offer a guided troubleshooting system with accessible language and decision flows tailored to each user's profile. It will enable quick consultation of validated procedures, assisting technicians in resolving faults via mobile devices and integrating with existing mobility systems.
SIMARSUL's participation in these projects mobilizes the knowledge and experience of its teams, contributing to the development of collaborative solutions with potential for wider application in other companies within the Águas de Portugal Group.
The InovaPro, integrated into the Águas de Portugal Group's Innovation Fund and driven by AdP VALOR, has an annual budget of one million euros and fully finances projects developed by consortia of Group companies. The contest aims to harness existing knowledge and creativity to address common challenges and promote knowledge circulation, enabling collaboratively developed solutions to have broader application within the Group.
Since its launch in 2022, InovaPro has funded 17 projects in areas such as energy and carbon neutrality, operational efficiency, artificial intelligence, and investment decision support for infrastructure.
