Norwegian University of Life Sciences

NMBU is one of the ten universities in Norway, with 64 study programs, 6400 students and 1900 staff. It was established in 1859 and located in a 600 ha area, about 30 km south of Oslo. NMBU has a long tradition for international collaboration especially with EU Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe,   Erasmus+ (over 100 projects) as well as various projects funded by the Norwegian grants.

In the SmartWB project, the Research Group on Smart Water which focuses on Water Treatment and Analytics will be involved. The group is leading the conventional water treatment processes and digitalization aspects, with about 7-10 large international projects at any given time. These projects has created the Water Harmony Global Educational and Research Network, with over 100 universities from 54 countries, giving unique opportunities our partners. 

The Smart Water group found its niche of analytics in water treatment, combining data science with environmental and process research. It is essential to keep and advance it by:

• Acquiring excellent "high risk – high gain" research projects to develop and attract new talents to the group
• Leading and contributing to global capacity building initiatives both in education and reserach
• Outstanding publication to improve the group's research reputation, productivity, and influence, thus also contributing to the faculty's and NMBU's ambitions
• Developing research infrastructure with analytical and experimental equipment
• Keeping the research activity going through collaborations, prioritising partnerships that extend knowledge and expertise
• Increasing visibility and collaboration with leading international researchers and their groups

The Smart Water group at NMBU specially focuses at present on:

1. Data-driven water quality monitoring
   1. Monitoring of CECs, including DBPs in water and wastewater
   2. Monitoring of nutrients and aggregate organics in wastewater
   3. Qualitative NOM composition of surface water
2. Data-driven process surveillance & control
   1. Data-driven models for process surveillance with hybrid sensors
   2. Optimization of coagulation & flocculation and membrane processes
   3. Image analysis in process control and phenotyping
3. Enabling technologies: coagulation & flocculation, membranes and electrochemical methods
   1. Nature-derived reagents
   2. Hybrid coagulants and processes
   3. Nanofiltration of NOM in surface water
   4. Electrooxidation of organic pollutants

The Smart Water group has initiated and coordinated an International Summer School on Water at NMBU since 2012, with over 300 students from over 35 countries.

Team:

• Harsha Ratnaweera
• Zakhar Maletskyi
• Agnieszka Katarzyna Cuprys
• Natalia Ilieva