The main objective of the iRAIN project is to investigate new systems and technologies to safely regenerate and reuse wastewater and its nutrients for agricultural use, through the application of advanced hybrid tools that combine monitoring and artificial intelligence by merging data from satellites, drones, agricultural robots and sensor networks.
These new systems and technologies to be investigated have the ultimate goal of substantially improving the management and use of wastewater; combating water scarcity; maximizing and efficiently making the most of both the practice of reuse and the regenerated and recovered resources; and developing strategies for adaptation and resilience to climate change.
iRAIN will be the result of the integration of various research projects into new technologies for the efficient regeneration of wastewater, the safe reuse in agricultural applications and the conservation and recovery of nutrients, as well as research into advanced agricultural digitalisation techniques based on the fusion of data from technologies for monitoring the water status of crops by air and land, in addition to research into water models based on artificial intelligence for combined and optimised management of the use of water resources for agricultural purposes and that promote circular strategies.
In short, the iRAIN project is part of the thematic priority of promoting advanced management of Water Resources within the framework of the green transition and the fight against climate change and its consequences thanks to the fact that it addresses innovative research into water technologies and new methodologies for the evaluation and monitoring of resources.
For the development of the project, a balanced consortium of 8 companies and 2 Research Technology Centres has been formed, led by a company expert in wastewater treatment and regeneration technologies for agricultural use SOCIEDAD DE FOMENTO AGRICOLA CASTELLONENSE, S.A. (FACSA). The group is supported by a leading company in water treatment technologies and high-efficiency precision agriculture SISTEMA AZUD, S.A. (AZUD), by a company expert in technologies for continuous control and early warning of water quality AQUACORP SL (AQUACORP), by leading companies in monitoring technologies such as AIRBUS OPERATIONS, S.L. (AIRBUS), TELESPAZIO IBERICA SL (TELESPAZIO) and AKIS RESEARCH SL (AKIS), and intelligent data analysis and management such as GIMENO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES SL (GIDITEK) and GROUP SALTÓ.
As for the Research Technology Centres, that is, the AEI group that is part of the consortium, it is led by the FUNDACIO EURECAT (EURECAT) technology centre, which has extensive knowledge in water engineering, sensors, artificial intelligence, ground and aerial robots, and physicochemical treatments of regenerated water. The consortium is completed by FUNDACION ANDALUZA PARA EL DESARROLLO AEROESPACIAL (CATEC), with extensive experience in drones or aerial systems to research new modelling and simulation tools.
The project for the CDTI group is subsidised by the CDTI and supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Likewise, the current iRAIN project for the AEI group is funded by the State Research Agency (AEI) and supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
