OiEau's Solutions & Know-how : Support and dissemination of innovative solutions
Faced with growing challenges posed by climate change, urbanisation, resource scarcity, conflicts of use, etc., technical and social innovation has become an essential lever for adapting water management. With 35 years of experience, OiEau positions itself, in France and internationally, as a link between research, technologies and their end users. Thanks to its cross-disciplinary approach and full-scale educational pilot projects, which are unique in Europe, OiEau facilitates the demonstration and evaluation of solutions under operational conditions.
By linking research, experimentation and practical applications, OiEau, an independent association recognised as being of public utility, helps to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions that guarantee more efficient and resilient water management.
Meeting challenges through innovation
Today, water stakeholders must rely on tools and methods capable of responding to increasingly complex situations. Innovation is an essential means of adapting systems, improving performance and strengthening the resilience of territories.
To do this, they must be able to test technological solutions, have access to real-world testing grounds, particularly through full-scale educational pilot projects, and, when necessary, develop tailor-made pilot projects, from feasibility studies to maintenance or operational support.
Securing technical and financial choices also depends on the ability to obtain expert opinions on the effectiveness and feasibility of new technologies before their large-scale implementation, in order to guarantee their relevance and robustness.
In a context where data is becoming a strategic tool, stakeholders must also be able to optimise the structuring and exploitation of satellite data and other innovative sources. Altimetry, remote sensing and sensors enrich hydrological models, support decision-making and enable more detailed monitoring of aquatic environments.
Finally, the success of innovation depends on cooperation between disciplines and organisations: the challenges involved require the establishment of consortia with research organisations, as well as collaboration with social innovation specialists, in order to promote the sustainable adoption of new uses and support the transformation of practices.
Data as a lever for promoting new practices
To meet these needs, OiEau offers comprehensive support, ranging from feasibility studies to pilot maintenance, performance monitoring and operational support. As a recognised public interest organisation, it occupies a unique position in the water sector: its neutrality, independence and objectivity form the foundations of its mission. This stance guarantees impartial evaluation of emerging technologies and rigorous assessment of innovative solutions.
OiEau's living labs play a central role: these experimental sites enable prototypes to be tested, validated and improved under real operating conditions. They ensure the reliability of the results obtained and their transferability on a large scale. When projects require it, OiEau also designs tailor-made pilot projects, adapted to the specific constraints of local authorities or partners.
As innovation also relies on data, OiEau works alongside stakeholders to structure and exploit satellite and innovative data, particularly in terms of their interoperability. This expertise strengthens the ability of local authorities to anticipate floods, monitor groundwater levels and plan for climate change adaptation.
In addition, OiEau plays a key role in setting up complementary consortia, assessing and promoting innovative solutions, and connecting with social engineering stakeholders to ensure the efficient adoption of new practices and promote digital tools and services that ensure the sustainability of water systems.
Examples of initiatives with local authorities and manufacturers
OiEau supports the dissemination of these innovations to decision-makers, operators and other stakeholders. Its experts provide an independent perspective, technical advice and implementation solutions tailored to the realities on the ground, in France and around the world.
For example, the FASEP M.A.R.U. project (Monitoramento das Águas Residuais urbanas e do seu Impacto Ambiental), conducted in Brazil, aims to strengthen the monitoring of urban wastewater discharges and to better understand their environmental impact.
OiEau coordinated the implementation of an observation system based on the use of satellite data to detect, map and analyse discharges. This innovative approach, based on remote sensing, enables the Brazilian authorities to improve the monitoring of aquatic environments and to identify more quickly the areas requiring corrective action.
The European Life ZEUS project offers a concrete example of how OiEau helps transform innovation into operational solutions. This project demonstrates the technical and economic feasibility of Zero Liquid Discharge in the agri-food industry. At the MONIN factory in Bourges, OiEau participated in the implementation of an advanced process for the total recycling of water and dissolved compounds. Tests were conducted to evaluate the system's operation, efficiency, operating constraints and environmental benefits.
In addition, other projects reinforce OiEau's expertise, such as the coordination of the SWOT space mission and the evaluation of processes using the DISTEP prototype. They demonstrate the diversity of innovations supported by our association, whether in the fields of technology, digital technology or space observation.
With this sheet dedicated to supporting and disseminating innovative solutions, OiEau confirms its commitment to making innovation a lever for climate change adaptation in local areas. In collaboration with researchers, manufacturers and institutions, it contributes to the collective development of sustainable, participatory and resilient water management.
Discover OiEau's solutions and expertise in this video
After testing throughout the project (lab, pilot, 1:1 scale demonstrator), which will end in 2025, the ZEUS solution will be transferred to other MONIN Group factories, as well as to various agri-food industries, with a view to dissemination.
FAQ
Support and dissemination of innovative solutions: find out more
WWR refers to all practices aimed at reusing treated wastewater for non-potable uses, such as agricultural irrigation, watering green spaces, urban cleaning or certain industrial uses. It is an important lever for adapting to climate change, helping to preserve freshwater resources while securing certain uses.
In the water sector, a living lab is a full-scale experimental site where water management solutions can be tested, evaluated and improved under operational conditions. It brings together local authorities, operators, manufacturers, researchers and users to test innovations against technical, regulatory, environmental and operational constraints in the field.
Robust, interoperable and accessible data are an essential foundation for steering water policies, planning investments and informing citizens, as they provide reliable and shared knowledge about the state of resources, uses, pressures and service performance. They determine the quality of diagnoses, the consistency of long-term strategies and the ability to meet regulatory and transparency requirements. By ensuring the quality, traceability and consistency of data from multiple sources, OiEau helps to transform data into an operational decision-making tool, promoting effective and sustainable water governance that is adapted to the challenges of different regions.
Some examples of projects
