Partners

Benaki Phytopathological Institute is a non-profit Research Institute, a legal entity of the public sector.
BPI is authorized to carry out evaluation of plant protection products related to identity and chemical analysis, fate in the environment, mammalian toxicology, ecotoxicology, residues, hazard identification and risk assessmentfor the operator and the consumer of the agricultural commodities and to provide scientific advice to the designated authority for plant protectionproduct registration at EU or at National Level. The Institute is authorized toparticipate in the pesticide residue monitoring program in water and in agricultural products. BPI provides diagnostic services, information, training and technical consultancy to agronomists, farmers and traders and participates in several EU funded, Bilateral and National research projects.

The Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at NCSR “Demokritos” is the largest research institute in Greece, with critical mass in expertise and infrastructure in the fields of Nanotechnology & Environment.

INN participates in the LIFE PureAgroH2O project with two laboratories that benefit of a long-standing, fruitful collaboration: 1.Membranes and Materials for Environmental Separations Laboratory (MESL) is aspecialized center for the structural characterization of nanoporous materials and membranes. The MESL group comprises 30 members and has been in the forefront of experimental techniques and theories aimed at understanding andmodeling porous media, adsorption, and permeability, permitting the monitoring and controlling of the nanostructure evolution during the materials synthesisand their applications. MESL is currently the designer and owner of the larger CO₂ capture facility in Greece (Orpheus unit), implemented in the framework of the IOLICAP, FP7 project. Nanotechnology Processes for Solar Energy Conversion & Environmental Protection – NPSECEP. The group is directed by Dr. P. Falaras (coordinator of the Clean Water EU/FP7 project) and comprises of 15 members. Research work in NPSECEP focuses on the investigation of nanotechnology driven advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Emphasis in given to the growth of innovative nanostructured titania photocatalysts with parallel design of photocatalytic membrane reactors and their application in the re-establishment of water environments. The research includes the development of a general antipollution technology targeting the photocatalytic decomposition of harmful organic pollutants andmicroorganisms under UV, UV-vis and solar light illumination.

The “Agricultural Cooperative of Zagora” is the major operator of commercial activity and development in the region of Northern Pelion and one of the most dynamic primary cooperative organizations in Greece.

It was established in 1916 and has become the first in order Agricultural Cooperative in Greece which has Centennial continual operation. In 1982 the Greek Ministry of Agriculture declared the Cooperative as “pilot project”. In 1985 the Cooperative entered a new phase of action as an organized commercial enterprise and changed its legal name to “Agricultural Cooperative of Zagora Pilion”. In 1996, the Cooperative acquires for its the apples the “Protected Designation of Origin” label and the internationally registered trade name “ZAGORIN”, with the respective logo. The cooperative collects and distributes a variety of fruits produced in Pelion such as apples, pears, kiwis, and cherries. Today, the Cooperative collects, keeps, packages and distributes almost all the apple production (10.000-15.000 tons annually) of the area and it is one of the most important economic units in the prefecture of Thessaly, Greece. The Cooperative owns ultramodern complex refrigerators (55.000 m³ of cold rooms / controlled atmosphere ULO rooms) which can preserve more than 10,000 tons of fruits and automatic electronic sorting machines, among its infrastructures. The Cooperative implements the state-of- the-art “Smartfresh ™” technology for post harvest fruit management, which is globally recognized as an important tool for fruit quality management and has eliminated the need for post-harvest application of fungicides. In line with its concern for environment protection and a constant effort for impacts minimization of its production activity, the“Agricultural Cooperative of Zagora Pelion” aims to incorporate the PNFR system in its production line, to advance its competitiveness and promote the Cooperatives’ profile as a “green” fruit-packaging unit.

The University of Almería (UAL) is a public university with 30 degrees available and 681 professors.

Within this organization, CIESOL (Research Centre in Solar Energy) is a research center created and managed since 2005 per the cooperation agreement between UAL and Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT) of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain. Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) is one of the Departments of CIEMAT, located in Almeria and the partner of UAL at CIESOL. CIESOL is located on the campus of the UALand both the building and its energy infrastructure have been funded by FEDER, Andalusian Regional Government and the ARFRISOL Project leader by CIEMAT. Currently, 55 researchers, from the UAL and CIEMAT, carry out their collaborative activities in the center. Those activities are linked since 2005 to more than 30 national and international projects and contracts with companies. The CIESOL “Regeneration Water” and “Environmental Analysis” research units are involved in this proposal. The proposal scientific and technical work will lead professors of the University of Almeria in close collaboration with researchers of PSA jointly working in CIESOL. This allianceis complementing and strengthening CIESOL mainlines current research which are environmental engineering, advanced oxidation processes and the removal and analysis of pesticides and contaminants of emerging concern in  aqueous effluents, and more specifically: the study of solar photocatalysis for the removal of toxic substances and water disinfection along with their combination with advanced biological methods for the reuse of waters polluted with non-biodegradable persistent pollutants. The strategic lines of action are focused on the optimization of the operation and development of new waste water treatments and water economics.

Citricos del Andarax S.A. is a food processing industry created in 1997 and located in Almería (south of Spain).

It belongs to one of the leading manufacturers of juices and wines in the Spanish market: JGC company. It produces refrigerated organic orange juice, gazpachos and creams, all with 100% natural products in facilities of more than 15,000 m² equipped with the latest technology. The Plant has a transformation capacity of more than 120,000 tons of fruit and vegetables per year, under the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and the International Food Safety protocols BRC (British Retail Consortium) and IFS (International Food Standard), with the highest qualification in certification audits.