Wetsus

Wetsus - European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology is a research centre for water technology in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. Over one hundred companies and twenty knowledge institutes work together at Wetsus to develop solutions for global water issues.

History

Wetsus was established as part of Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland, the Frisian Water Alliance, the University of Twente, the University of Groningen and Wageningen University & Research to strengthen the position of the region as major player in the water sector. In 2007 the institute was labeled Technological [Top Institute|Top Technological Institute].

Collaboration

Together with other actors of the WaterCampus Leeuwarden, Wetsus collaborates with several initiatives, such as:

the Water Alliance to take technological innovations to the market,
the Centrum voor innovatief vakmanschap water for vocational education;
the Centre of Expertise Water Technology for collaboration in the applied sciences.

Wetsus is home to the MSc Water Technology, a joint degree of the University of Groningen, the University of Twente and Wageningen University & Research.

Innovation & research

Wetsus studied reverse electrodialysis to generate osmotic power. That research resulted in a spin-off company called REDstack that generates blue energy at the Afsluitdijk in the Netherlands. Wetsus also promoted decentralized sanitation and wastewater reuse in the Netherlands through the spin-off company DeSaH.
As of 2024, research is focused on removing PFAS from water, and the removal of micro and nanoplastics from water.