In cooperation with COWI A/S, the Danish Technological Institute, Aalborg University and the University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University is the main driver behind the consortium that the Ministry of Environment following a call of tenders has chosen to establish in order to realize the ambition of allowing Danish companies to test new water technologies fast and efficiently via the availability of national test facilities for water technology and climate adaptation.

The new test centre for which COWI acts as project manager will comprise a network of already existing facilities supplemented by new mobile test facilities. An important part of the centre will be a secretariat in Region Midtjylland where companies can take advantage of consultancy about facilities and assistance to testing the viability of their idea.

When a company has contacted the secretariat, the secretariat can provide assistance by either bringing in a research institution to evaluate the idea or locate the proper test facilities for testing a product. Some companies will arrive with brand new ideas, while others will present an almost finished product requiring testing to enable documentation of efficiency to the customers.

About the national test facilities Minister of the Environment Pia Olsen Dyhr says:

”Water technology companies have long requested better possibilities of testing their ideas to assist their product development. At the same time many companies require that the test facilities should be located in their near vicinity. Now they will be provided with easy access to testing and developing their technology.”

For Aarhus University the participation in the national centre for water technology and climate adaptation means that all the university’s competences within water, water technology and climate adaptation can be exploited across departments and main areas. On behalf of the centre’s secretariat the DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy – will facilitate access to these competences.

Director of DCE, Hanne Bach, looks forward to DCE’s role in the new national test centre:

“The university holds many widely different but very relevant competences within water, water technology and climate adaptation, and in connection with the test centre – and as in other contexts - it will be the responsibility of DCE to make these available to companies, authorities and other interested parties.”

5.5 mill. DKK to support test centre establishment

The Nature Agency has awarded a one-off sum of DKK 5.5 mill. for the establishment of the test centre, which afterwards is to operate independently? Against payment, companies can use the facilities to test solutions within groundwater, waste water and surface water.

The new national test centre for water technology and climate adaptation will initiate its work before summer. The test centre is the realization of one of the recommendations made last autumn by the Growth Team behind the “Growth plan for water, bio and environmental solutions”.

As mentioned, COWI will manage the consortium, which besides the main participants includes a number of municipalities, regions, supply companies, producers, institutions and organizations.

The consortium has access to experts on rain water, surface water, raw water, drinking water, waste water and irrigation. And not only fully developed technological solutions can be tested says project manager at COWI, Anders Refsgaard:

“We support the full innovation chain for technological development from evaluating the good idea and investigating possibilities of support to discussions on prototype development, documented testing of the product, market research and marketing assistance.

Find more details at COWI’s homepage (in danish)

Contact: Director Hanne Bach, tel. +45 8715 1348, hba@dmu.dk or
              Chief consultant Anja Skjoldborg Hansen, tel. +45 8715 1302, ash@dmu.dk
              DCE- Danish Centre for Environment and Energy
              Aarhus University