MANRESA, Spain — EmerGO is officially underway. Marking the end of two intense and productive days, 18 international partners have united to build a pioneering European platform to track and eliminate persistent pollutants in food and drink processing water.
The kick-off meeting was hosted by the project coordinator, Eurecat, in its facilities in Manresa. Funded under the HorizonEurope program by the European Research Executive Agency (REA), this four-year initiative brings together experts from 10 countries to drive the sector toward zero pollution.
At the heart of the project is an urgent industry challenge: persistent and emerging pollutants (PEPs) found in the water used during industrial cleaning operations.
To tackle these invisible contaminants, EmerGO is building a pioneering platform to assess, monitor, and reduce them across the food and drink sector. Over the next four years, the team will combine smart sensor networks, automated real-time risk tracking, and next-generation purification systems designed specifically for food processing plants.
To prove these technologies work in real-world settings, EmerGO will test them directly on factory floors. Three industrial demonstration sites have been selected across key sub-sectors: a meat processing plant, a fruit juice facility, and a confectionery factory.
Real-world testing to ensure advanced water monitoring delivers scalable, industry-ready solutions
During the kick-off event, partners also got a first-hand look at the science behind the initiative. The delegates toured Eurecat’s Environmental Technology and Analysis Labs to explore the advanced monitoring and treatment capabilities supporting the project.
The strength of EmerGO lies in its cross-sector collaboration. The 18-member consortium features research centers, tech innovators, and major food brands, including Eurecat – Technology Centre, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin (KWB), Abertay University, Agricultural University of Athens, KICT(Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Sciensano, IRIS Technology Solutions, Nijhuis Saur Industries, CESCO, QSAR Lab, International Office for Water (OiEau), European Food Information Council (EUFIC), EIT Food, INNOVACC Clúster català de la carn i la proteïna alternativa, Cold PressOK, Jotis and Casademont.
