REWATERGY consortium started its activities with the successful hiring of 8 highly motivated Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) and the consolidation of their enrolment in doctoral programmes, as it was planned and foreseen in the project.
Upon recruitment, all the ESRs started the scientific research work in October/November 2019, and the 8 EST have submitted their PhD Theses by October 2023.
The main outcomes of the project can be summarised as:
- REWATERGY has enhanced the career perspectives and employability of researchers and contribution to their skills development.
- The ESRs have achieved the knowledge, experience and network of contacts to develop innovative solutions in the water-energy sector and they will have the skills to manage their careers in both large and small organizations, leading teams and setting up their own companies.
- The project has provided the ESRs with soft skill training and industrial/academic training which will improve their general skills for study and career management and encourage a positive attitude towards learning throughout life.
- The network of professionals engaged in REWATERGY, in collaboration with the highly qualified project personnel, have actively promoted awareness of the impact of water treatment processes on energy consumption and, consequently, global change within European society.
- The project's efforts and outcomes have played a significant role in eliminating the existing barriers between academia and industry.
- REWATERGY designed a robust interdisciplinary training program in the water-energy nexus field and exposed the trainees to a wide range of research issues and environments. Each project was a collaboration between academic partners and industrial partners, leading to unparalleled industrial influence on the training needs.
- The industrial sector has incorporated concepts of industrial quality assurance, industry standards, international directives, national and harmonized European legislation, and soft skill training.
- Outreach activities and public engagement has covered a wide range of audiences of different ages, background education and interests.
- All fellows had the opportunity to be significantly with public engagement and outreach activities.
- The REWATERGY website, the semestral newsletter and the student blog had played a prominent role in the outreach of the project.
- Communication through Social Media had contributed to enhance the visibility of the results.
- ESRs have participated in the Europe-wide Researchers’ Night, in the annual Northern Ireland Science Festival and in the Science Week of Comunidad de Madrid.
- The three prototypes proposed in the project have been successfully built and validated at least in a laboratory environment.
- From the research work of the ESRs, 11 scientific papers have been already published open-access so far in different indexed journals, all available at the Zenodo repository site together with the corresponding datasets, and at least 7 more publications are in preparation.
- REWATERGY has participated in 39 conferences with 27 oral presentations and 12 poster presentations, and some students have been awarded in different congresses.
- Out of the total 8 doctoral students, 6 have already successfully defended their doctoral theses, while the remaining 2 have been submitted in October 2023.
