EDINA, MN, June 15, 2011 -- Dow Water & Process Solutions has opened its Global Water Technology Development Center at the Dow facilities in Tarragona, Spain. The water research center is designed to accelerate the commercialization of Dow's water technologies.
The Global Water Technology Development Center was funded through a U.S. $15 million Dow investment, along with grant subsidies from Spain's Ministry of Science and Innovation for research programs in this area, which is in line with the Spanish government's commitment to research and development in the field of sustainable water supplies.
"This center represents a significant investment for Dow. It's a one-of-a-kind facility staffed with leading industry experts to meet one of the world's most pressing needs -- clean water," said Ian Barbour, general manager, Dow Water & Process Solutions. "The central location is ideal to support our customers in the region and gives us access to the wide variety of water sources, including waste water and seawater, to support product development and performance testing in real world conditions."
Spain's minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, said the water technology center will be "a source of wealth and new jobs for the region."
Some of the initial water research efforts will include improving the quality of desalinated water; minimizing costs and reducing energy consumption per cubic meter; extending the useful life of membranes, which is a long-term cost for desalination plants; and increasing efficiency of materials.
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