Dreamville is living lab for studying water use
Water is precious, and we must use it carefully. VITO launched the research project WaterVille to gain more insight into our use of water. At DreamVille, home to 38 000 Tomorrowland festival visitors each year, smart sensors register the detailed consumption pattern, and researchers test which communications convince people, for example, to take shorter showers. In addition to local water savings of at least 20 %, the project aims to be an inspiring example for the tens of thousands of visitors, and for the events industry and the public water sector in general.
Satellites and drones reveal the world in images
Why does a product not meet quality expectations? More and more companies are contacting VITO with a specific analysis question or problem. Researchers in the analysis laboratory not only carry out specialised analyses but also provide solutions to issues and targeted advice.
With the upcoming growing season for 2018, WatchITgrow continues to offer potato growers the opportunity to monitor their potato fields via satellite for free!
Purified wastewater for chemistry and pharmaceuticals
A lot of wastewater from the chemical and pharmaceutical industry containing toxic components is processed in incineration plants. Valuable raw materials are lost in the process.
Parties in the European innovation program REnnovates have announced the results of their research on the possibilities to make existing residential areas energy-neutral in a smart and future-proof manner. The results arise from the transformation of a total of 249 existing rental properties to zero-energy homes.
Europe has set itself ambitious climate targets. In order to achieve these targets, renewable energy needs to be shared across borders, so that shortages can be made up and surpluses shared.
Belgian research institutes join forces to develop models for a sustainable and cost effective energy future in Belgium
During the SuperNova Expeditoin, author Dr. Wouter Lefebvre presents his book: ‘Onze Lucht’ (Our Air – Dutch book). He tells us everything we need to know about air quality.
What if a household appliance could be fully integrated into the circular economy system? What would that mean for jobs, and the need for certain raw materials? What about exports to other countries?
If we want to keep cities liveable, we must move towards sustainability and climate neutrality. This message is not new, but who believes in the feasibility of this plan?
Radioactive elements resulting from the decay of natural uranium and thorium are found everywhere in the Earth's crust. These natural radioactive substances are referred to as NORM, or Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials.
There is too much CO2 in the air and that is detrimental in terms of global warming. Extracting CO2 from the air and storing it is one way of resolving this, but we can also extract CO2 from the air and use it to produce renewable fuels or high-quality chemicals or store it in, for example, building materials. That is something that is already possible, explains Metin Bulut of VITO.
The greenhouse horticulture sector in Flanders has been at the forefront when it comes to innovative ways of heating greenhouses for many years. Efficient heat production is essential for the sector. VITO is working together with Thomas More University of Applied Sciences (Campus Geel/KU Leuven) on researching methods of using heat from deep underground in a profitable way. The use of geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that has been overlooked in Belgium for many years.
The geothermal site in Mol uses hot water taken from the substrate. But this water layer, at a depth of 4 km, is only available in the Kempen area of Limburg and Antwerp. How can we resolve this throughout the rest of Flanders?
Innotek, VITO and the Province of Antwerp are joining forces for the creation of a ‘Health Hub’ in the Kempen region. In the Technology House in Mol they are creating a unique campus with state-of-the-art lab infrastructure where activities related to research, venturing, incubation and acceleration on sustainable health are brought together under one roof.
Algae are the perfect raw biomaterial for the future. They are ideal as food and animal feed, and as a source of valuable chemicals. Furthermore, algae actively reduce CO2 levels in the air.
The province of Noord-Brabant, TNO, ECN and the Flemish VITO are jointly investing €10 million in the development of bio-aromatics: sustainable raw materials for the chemical industry.
These KETs are expected to become increasingly important in the allocation of funding.
The cross-border project BIO-HArT (Biorizon Innovation and Upscaling of Renewable Aromatics Technology) was set out in 2016 to scale up technology for the production of bio-aromatics from biomass, focusing specifically on woody biomass sources. By the end of 2018 this must result in functioning bench-scale demonstrators and optimized processes, so kilogram samples can be provided to the industry. A consortium of 10 industrial and research organizations is collaborating on the realization of these ambitious targets. Today, the mid-term results of the project are communicated.
The Flemish Government is making 9 million euros available for the rollout of Internet of Water, an intelligent water management system that can permanently monitor water quality and quantity and in real time. More than 2500 sensors will be installed in Flanders and deliver data to the self-learning software. Thanks to this data, Flanders can better arm itself against flooding, water scarcity and water pollution in the future.
Modesto, a tool for optimal control of district heating systems.