Final Report Summary - MEMBRIDGE (Bridge between environment and industry designed by membrane technology)
The MEMBRIDGE project which associated Europe and Russia/NIS, allowed to set-up the basic pillars of the 'Bridge between environment and industry designed by membrane technology' as initially foreseen. This was carried out through the creation of a Russian network on membrane technologies (RusMemNet), different meetings (particularly two partnering conferences in Brussels and Moscow), several visits (universities and industries) and the establishment of an e-platform linking together different websites. The complete achievement and the smooth running of the cooperation will certainly take more than two years as it can be easily understood! In other words, the impact of this cooperation between Europe and Russia/NIS will have more effect and more concrete results (specifically new projects) in the mid-long term. Up to now, the MEMBRIDGE project succeeded to settle this bridge starting mainly from a limited number of participants; it will be necessary, in the continuation of what has been already done with the arrival of new partners, to enlarge the network and particularly to develop new public private partnership (PPP) between the two world regions (the European Union (EU) and Russia-NIS).
Project context and objectives:
Instead of 1 January 2009 as was planned in the Annex I-DoW, MEMBRIDGE was officially started on 1 May 2009. The final meeting of MEMBRIDGE was held in 14-15 April 2011 in Warsaw,Poland. As result of the MEMBRIDGE project, many achievements in the field of researches activities, training, industrial and institutional contacts had been obtained. Undoubtedly, through MEMBRIDGE, the establishment of the link between both membrane networks - Network of Excellence NanoMemPro in Europe and Russian Membrane Network in Russia - was successful.
Through this rapprochement, and thanks to meetings held during the project which reinforced the dissemination action, it can be concluded that the basic pillars of the bridge are now in place. But the complete achievement and the smooth running of the cooperation will certainly take more than two years as it can be easily understood! In other words, the impact of this cooperation between Europe and Russia/NIS will have more effect and more concrete results (specifically new projects) in the mid-long term. Up to now, the MEMBRIDGE project succeeded to settle this bridge starting mainly from a limited number of participants; it will be necessary, in the continuation of what has been already done with the arrival of new partners, to enlarge the network and particularly to develop new PPP between the two world regions (EU and Russia-NIS).
An active participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and external institutions to the MEMBRIDGE meetings should be noted. SMEs represent more than 99 % of all businesses, and employ more than 90 million people in Europe. They are the engine behind our economy and must be kept strong, competitive and innovative, says recently Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice-President in charge of industry and entrepreneurship. Enterprises will be crucial to the internationalisation towards the eastern Europe. Furthermore, it is important to mention that in relation with national organisations, a joint laboratory was created between France and Russia. Another strong point for this project is the support of MEMBRIDGE for the active participation of young Russian-NIS students to several workshops and summer schools in the EU countries.
A data-basis which included the profiles of topics, research institutions and institutional companies working in membrane technologies in Russia and NIS is developed. All the deliverables have been sent nearly in due time. The regular meetings and events were carried out according to the Gant Chart. All that was done in spite of a late arrival of the second payment of the EU at the end of 2010, and not mid 2010 as initially expected. That was mainly due to difficulties encountered - especially by Russian/NIS partners - to use the electronic system of access to financial documents. Finally, it should be mentioned that the first post-meeting of the MEMBRIDGE project, organised thanks to the financial support of the Region Languedoc-Roussillon in France which hosts the EMH coordination group, will give stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the future state and prospects of this project. It will take place on 22 June 2011 during the 10th International Conference on Catalysis in Membrane Reactors in St. Petersburg, Russia. MEMBRIDGE is continuing!
Project results: The MEMBRIDGE project officially started on 1 May 2009. In agreement the Gant Chart:
- M01: 11 - 16 May 2009, Tuapse, Russia: the EMH was represented by its CEO during the meeting on 'Ion transport in organic and inorganic membranes' organised in Tuapse. The European coordinator Prof. Gilbert M. Rios gave a lecture on the project explaining its structure and objectives.
- M02: 6 June 2009, Prague, Czech Republic: the first industrial-driven event and the first general meeting were organised by the MEGA company just before the start of the PERMEA congress: visit of the MEGA industrial plant and discussions. Oral presentations were made on MEMBRIDGE activities.
- M05: 7 September 2009, Salindres, next to Montpellier, France: the second industrial event and the second general meeting took place just before the start of the Euromembrane congress with the following agenda : visit of CTI company; oral presentations of MEMBRIDGE activities: vertical (academia, industrialists) and horizontal (Europe, Russia/NIS) contacts; working on new partnerships and joint projects.
- M08: 7 December 2009, Brussels, Belgium: the first partnering conference and the third general meeting were organised. The programme was focused on the MEMBRIDGE action during the following months and on the preparation of several proposals / partnerships. Other important point was about the accessibility of the information via the EMH/EMS websites and the new Russian website (see http://www.rusmembrane.net online).
- M14: 21 - 22 June2010, Astana: The second round table and third industrial driven event meeting was organised by TOO 'Membrane Technologies C.A' (MTCA) from Kazakhstan. The first hot topic selected in the MEMBRIDGE project 'membranes towards zero liquid discharge technologies' was treated during this meeting. A visit of the water treatment plant (capacity of 8 000 m3/d) in the Shchuchinsk town, 200 km from Astana was planned on the second day.
- M16: 28 - 30 August 2010, Prague: Participation of the coordinator to the 19th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering CHISA 2010 and the 7th European Congress of Chemical Engineering ECCE-7. During this meeting, he gave an invited lecture, and presented the EMH activities with the MEMBRIDGE project. There were also different discussions on this point with MEMBRIDGE's partners who attended the conference.
- M20: 10 December 2010, Moscow, Russia: The second partnering conference was organised by A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis Russian Academy of Sciences (TIPS RAS). Two 'hot topics' in membrane technology were treated during this conference 'enzyme-assisted membrane nanoreactors for biotechnology' and 'gas separation processes'.
- M24: 14-15 April 2011, Warsaw, Poland: The third round table and the fourth industrial driven event were organised by MTB Technologies and the Warsaw University of Technology. Two visits were planned on the second day, to Secura - Microspun Company and to the technological park at the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology.
Potential impact:
Thanks to the MEMBRIDGE project, the basic pillars of the bridge are now in place. But the complete achievement and the smooth running of the cooperation will certainly take more than two years as it can be easily understood! In other words, the impact of this cooperation between Europe and Russia/NIS will have more effect and more concrete results (specifically new projects) in the mid-long term. Up to now, the MEMBRIDGE project succeeded to settle this bridge starting mainly from a limited number of participants; it will be necessary, in the continuation of what has been already done with the arrival of new partners, to enlarge the network and particularly to develop new PPP between the two world regions (EU and Russia-NIS).
Project website: http://www.euromemhouse.com/Projects/MEMBRIDGE-Project.html
Project context and objectives:
Instead of 1 January 2009 as was planned in the Annex I-DoW, MEMBRIDGE was officially started on 1 May 2009. The final meeting of MEMBRIDGE was held in 14-15 April 2011 in Warsaw,Poland. As result of the MEMBRIDGE project, many achievements in the field of researches activities, training, industrial and institutional contacts had been obtained. Undoubtedly, through MEMBRIDGE, the establishment of the link between both membrane networks - Network of Excellence NanoMemPro in Europe and Russian Membrane Network in Russia - was successful.
Through this rapprochement, and thanks to meetings held during the project which reinforced the dissemination action, it can be concluded that the basic pillars of the bridge are now in place. But the complete achievement and the smooth running of the cooperation will certainly take more than two years as it can be easily understood! In other words, the impact of this cooperation between Europe and Russia/NIS will have more effect and more concrete results (specifically new projects) in the mid-long term. Up to now, the MEMBRIDGE project succeeded to settle this bridge starting mainly from a limited number of participants; it will be necessary, in the continuation of what has been already done with the arrival of new partners, to enlarge the network and particularly to develop new PPP between the two world regions (EU and Russia-NIS).
An active participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and external institutions to the MEMBRIDGE meetings should be noted. SMEs represent more than 99 % of all businesses, and employ more than 90 million people in Europe. They are the engine behind our economy and must be kept strong, competitive and innovative, says recently Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice-President in charge of industry and entrepreneurship. Enterprises will be crucial to the internationalisation towards the eastern Europe. Furthermore, it is important to mention that in relation with national organisations, a joint laboratory was created between France and Russia. Another strong point for this project is the support of MEMBRIDGE for the active participation of young Russian-NIS students to several workshops and summer schools in the EU countries.
A data-basis which included the profiles of topics, research institutions and institutional companies working in membrane technologies in Russia and NIS is developed. All the deliverables have been sent nearly in due time. The regular meetings and events were carried out according to the Gant Chart. All that was done in spite of a late arrival of the second payment of the EU at the end of 2010, and not mid 2010 as initially expected. That was mainly due to difficulties encountered - especially by Russian/NIS partners - to use the electronic system of access to financial documents. Finally, it should be mentioned that the first post-meeting of the MEMBRIDGE project, organised thanks to the financial support of the Region Languedoc-Roussillon in France which hosts the EMH coordination group, will give stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the future state and prospects of this project. It will take place on 22 June 2011 during the 10th International Conference on Catalysis in Membrane Reactors in St. Petersburg, Russia. MEMBRIDGE is continuing!
Project results: The MEMBRIDGE project officially started on 1 May 2009. In agreement the Gant Chart:
- M01: 11 - 16 May 2009, Tuapse, Russia: the EMH was represented by its CEO during the meeting on 'Ion transport in organic and inorganic membranes' organised in Tuapse. The European coordinator Prof. Gilbert M. Rios gave a lecture on the project explaining its structure and objectives.
- M02: 6 June 2009, Prague, Czech Republic: the first industrial-driven event and the first general meeting were organised by the MEGA company just before the start of the PERMEA congress: visit of the MEGA industrial plant and discussions. Oral presentations were made on MEMBRIDGE activities.
- M05: 7 September 2009, Salindres, next to Montpellier, France: the second industrial event and the second general meeting took place just before the start of the Euromembrane congress with the following agenda : visit of CTI company; oral presentations of MEMBRIDGE activities: vertical (academia, industrialists) and horizontal (Europe, Russia/NIS) contacts; working on new partnerships and joint projects.
- M08: 7 December 2009, Brussels, Belgium: the first partnering conference and the third general meeting were organised. The programme was focused on the MEMBRIDGE action during the following months and on the preparation of several proposals / partnerships. Other important point was about the accessibility of the information via the EMH/EMS websites and the new Russian website (see http://www.rusmembrane.net online).
- M14: 21 - 22 June2010, Astana: The second round table and third industrial driven event meeting was organised by TOO 'Membrane Technologies C.A' (MTCA) from Kazakhstan. The first hot topic selected in the MEMBRIDGE project 'membranes towards zero liquid discharge technologies' was treated during this meeting. A visit of the water treatment plant (capacity of 8 000 m3/d) in the Shchuchinsk town, 200 km from Astana was planned on the second day.
- M16: 28 - 30 August 2010, Prague: Participation of the coordinator to the 19th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering CHISA 2010 and the 7th European Congress of Chemical Engineering ECCE-7. During this meeting, he gave an invited lecture, and presented the EMH activities with the MEMBRIDGE project. There were also different discussions on this point with MEMBRIDGE's partners who attended the conference.
- M20: 10 December 2010, Moscow, Russia: The second partnering conference was organised by A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis Russian Academy of Sciences (TIPS RAS). Two 'hot topics' in membrane technology were treated during this conference 'enzyme-assisted membrane nanoreactors for biotechnology' and 'gas separation processes'.
- M24: 14-15 April 2011, Warsaw, Poland: The third round table and the fourth industrial driven event were organised by MTB Technologies and the Warsaw University of Technology. Two visits were planned on the second day, to Secura - Microspun Company and to the technological park at the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology.
Potential impact:
Thanks to the MEMBRIDGE project, the basic pillars of the bridge are now in place. But the complete achievement and the smooth running of the cooperation will certainly take more than two years as it can be easily understood! In other words, the impact of this cooperation between Europe and Russia/NIS will have more effect and more concrete results (specifically new projects) in the mid-long term. Up to now, the MEMBRIDGE project succeeded to settle this bridge starting mainly from a limited number of participants; it will be necessary, in the continuation of what has been already done with the arrival of new partners, to enlarge the network and particularly to develop new PPP between the two world regions (EU and Russia-NIS).
Project website: http://www.euromemhouse.com/Projects/MEMBRIDGE-Project.html
