Esade-URL, UPC and IED Barcelona students develop innovative solutions to guarantee access to treated water in conjunction with CERN
This year’s CBI focused on dealing with challenges related to SDG 6 (guaranteed access to water and sanitation for all) and addressed two specific cases: conceptualizing new ways of enhancing the value added of the City of Barcelona’s current water service, with help from Aigües de Barcelona, and understanding the issue of water salinization and access to fresh water in Gambia, with help from the CSIC-IDAEA research team.
Thursday, December 5, 2024. An instrument for monitoring water in hotels, an innovative shower head, an environmental monitoring kit, and a solution for farmers delivering real-time weather updates are some of the innovative solutions developed by students from Esade-URL, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) and Istituto Europeo di Design (IED Barcelona), within the framework of the eleventh edition of the Challenge-Based Innovation (CBI) program, a venture promoted by @IdeaSquare and the Innovation Department at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) to encourage multidisciplinary teams of students, in conjunction with the teaching and research staff of different entities, to work on new solutions for the future of humanity.
This year’s CBI focused on SDG 6 (ensuring access to water and sanitation for all) and addressed two specific cases: conceptualizing new ways of enhancing the value added of the City of Barcelona’s current water service, with help from Aigües de Barcelona, and understanding the issue of water salinization and access to fresh water in Gambia, with help from the CSIC-IDAEA research team.
To be precise, 6 university teams consisting of 34 students aged 20 to 37 from 14 different nationalities and reading a variety of programs – Full-Time MBA at Esade-URL, degrees in Telecom Services and Telecom Engineering at UPC, and the Master in Design Management at IED Barcelona – worked for 15 weeks on solution prototypes.
Enhanced value added for the city of Barcelona’s water service
This case, focused on pinpointing innovative ideas for the city of Barcelona’s water service, with support from Aigües de Barcelona, aims to enhance value added by analyzing data about the consumption of urban water. It focused particularly on providing information to industrial and commercial sectors, municipalities and services such as urban gardens, universities, hospitals and sports centers, and also individual households. By involving patterns of consumption, the challenge encourages the search for more sustainable ways to use water in these different sectors.
Helping hotels make a difference. Team Inglorious Aliens created Metrio, a solution that helps hotels lead the way to sustainability. Equipped with smart meters, real-time water tracking, and a gamified app, guests are inspired to compete, save and earn rewards. Meanwhile, hotels slash their overheads, boost their eco-credentials and deliver a superior guest experience, all while cutting water consumption by 15-20% and making Barcelona a global beacon for sustainable tourism.
Incentives for business. Team Drop developed AquaXChange. In conjunction with the government and Aigües de Barcelona’s smart water meters, AquaXChange is a trading ecosystem designed to help companies reduce their consumption to less than drought restriction levels in return for monetary incentives and investment in external water solutions. These trade-ins will take place during drought periods to help businesses reduce their operating costs, minimize demands on Barcelona’s water reserves, and reduce water waste and inefficiency.
Sustainability in the shower. Team 4Award invested in AquaMist, an innovative showerhead that revolutionizes water and energy savings in sports facilities, slashing water usage by up to 50% and energy consumption by 27% - the equivalent of 8 tons of CO2 annually. Featuring light rain and mist modes, it delivers an exceptional shower experience while promoting sustainability. Gym users activate the shower by NFC-enabled wristbands seamlessly integrated with the gym’s existing apps for real-time water-use tracking.
Access to fresh water in Gambia
The challenge of understanding the issue of water salinization and access to freshwater in Gambia focuses on helping Kiang West communities adapt to the challenges posed by the salinization of the river Gambia. In collaboration with the CSIC-IDAEA research group (SALBIA project) and the Sankandi association, efforts are being made to understand how salinity affects agriculture, local communities, biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions. By examining the links between social, ecological and environmental changes, the challenge encourages students to develop strategies for system-level adaptation, whilst helping the community become resilient and promoting sustainable change to deal with this environmental problem.
Mangrove restoration in Gambia. Team Delta developed The Roots Kits to empower the Sankandi Youth Development Association and local NGOs by means of innovative, cost-effective tools to improve mangrove restoration in Gambia. This DIY environmental monitoring kit enables communities to measure critical factors such as soil pH, water salinity and geolocation to pinpoint ideal planting sites and select suitable mangrove species. The project includes hands-on training modules that enable SYDA members to become leaders and share knowledge locally. This is a scalable, impactful solution for restoring ecosystems whilst fostering community empowerment and resilience.
Real-time weather updates. Team The Catalysts created Banku, a solution for farmers that provides real-time weather updates transmitted by SMS and visual instruments such as magnetic blackboards. This venture includes training in sustainable practices, partnerships with local governments and NGOs, and community involvement to enhance knowledge-sharing and thus reduce crop losses, increase income and environmental sustainability with a view to long-term food security and better livelihoods for Gambian farmers. The project focuses on improving agricultural resilience in Gambia, where 75% of the population depends on farming yet faces such significant challenges as unpredictable weather, poor access to technology, and lack of training.
A platform for forums. Team Pluto created Symbio, a forum platform for connecting global experts with NGOs and local community leaders in Gambia, with a view to fostering partnerships to tackle water management issues. The platform uses AI to deliver real-time translation, and analyses meetings to sum up discussions effectively. This ensures that everyone involved, regardless of any linguistic or technical barriers, can contribute to specific solutions. By combining expertise from different continents, the forum empowers communities by means of knowledge and tools to improve water system efficiency and sustainability, and thus promotes inclusive, data-driven decision-making to tackle one of Gambia’s most urgent resource management issues.
More information
Mar González
Director
Esade Communications Unit
Tel. 93 495 20 99
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