From February to June, Dr. Maite Pijuan and Dr. Oriol Gutierrez carried out a research stay at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB), University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia). This mobility was partially supported by the Senior Researchers Mobility Program of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

The University of Queensland (UQ) is consistently ranked among the top universities in Australia and worldwide. Its ACWEB institute, formerly known as the Advanced Water Management Centre, is internationally recognized as a leading research hub addressing key challenges in the urban water cycle.

During their five-month stay, Dr. Pijuan focused on resource recovery from waste streams, while Dr. Gutiérrez advanced research on sewer network modelling. In addition to their project work, they also presented ICRA’s research activities through several seminars held at UQ and at Urban Utilities, the regional authority responsible for drinking water and wastewater services across South East Queensland.

This research stage has reinforced the long-standing collaboration between ICRA and ACWEB, while also opening up new avenues for future joint projects. Given that both regions face comparable challenges in water supply and sanitation, these synergies are expected to contribute significantly to developing innovative and sustainable solutions for global water management.