FUNDACION CENTRO GALLEGO DE INVESTIGACIONES DEL AGUA

Their core work

The Galician Water Research Centre (FCGIA) is a Spanish research foundation focused on wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, and water reuse technologies. Based in Santiago de Compostela, they develop advanced biological and chemical treatment processes — including nanomaterial-based catalysts and oxidation technologies — to clean and recover value from wastewater. More recently, they have expanded into circular bioeconomy work, helping cities turn urban biowaste and wastewater into biofertilisers and other recovered resources. Their applied research bridges lab-scale water treatment innovation with investment-ready urban infrastructure projects.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

FCGIA's earliest H2020 involvement (NOWELTIES, 2019) centred on fundamental water treatment science — advanced oxidation processes, hybrid biological systems, and nanomaterial-based purification. By 2020-2021, their focus shifted decisively toward circular economy applications: recovering nutrients as biofertilisers (WalNUT) and developing investment-ready models for urban biowaste valorisation (HOOP). The trajectory shows a clear move from "how to clean water" toward "how to extract value from wastewater at city scale."

FCGIA is moving from laboratory water treatment research toward investment-ready circular bioeconomy solutions — expect them to seek projects combining wastewater valorisation with financial engineering and urban deployment.

How they like to work

FCGIA operates exclusively as a consortium partner or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, suggesting they contribute specialised water research expertise rather than managing large programmes. With 60 unique partners across 16 countries from just 3 projects, they participate in large, diverse consortia. This makes them an accessible and experienced team player comfortable operating within big multi-partner frameworks.

Despite only three projects, FCGIA has built a wide network of 60 partners across 16 countries, reflecting participation in large pan-European consortia. Their reach is firmly European with no apparent geographic concentration beyond their Spanish base.

What sets them apart

FCGIA sits at a specific intersection: they combine deep water chemistry and treatment expertise with growing capacity in circular economy business models, financial engineering, and public procurement — an unusual mix for a water research centre. Their HOOP involvement shows they understand the investment side of deploying wastewater solutions, not just the science. For consortium builders, this means a partner who can contribute both technical water treatment know-how and practical knowledge of how circular economy projects get financed and implemented in cities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• WalNUT
  Largest funding (EUR 519,531) and most commercially relevant — closing wastewater nutrient cycles to produce biofertilisers addresses a real market need in agriculture.
• HOOP
  Unusual for a research centre: involves financial engineering, public procurement, and investment models for circular bioeconomy — shows capacity beyond pure lab research.
• NOWELTIES
  Joint PhD laboratory programme (MSCA-ITN) developing next-generation water treatment using nanomaterials — builds the centre's human capital and fundamental science base.