As project manager
The project is led by Medical Waste Environmental Management, which has significant experience in hospital wastewater management and three University Institutions (University of the Aegean, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Technical University of Crete) with significant experience in detecting organic micro-pollutants and multidrug-resistant bacteria, in development of innovative wastewater treatment technologies, in ecotoxicity assessment and in reusability of the treated wastewater effluents.
Involved in the project
The company MEDICAL WASTE SA was established in 2007 and is active in the field of environmental management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Since its establishment, MEDW has been operating a model Waste Management Unit for the treatment of Region of Crete’s hospital wastes. At the same time, the company has been developed a hazardous and non-hazardous waste collection network throughout Crete and for their safe transfer to its facilities in the Heraklion Industrial Area for the treatment, the storage and the transfer to appropriate management units. The Waste Management Unit is the only one that operates in the Region of Crete and has customers all the public hospitals in the Region as well as the majority of private clinics and diagnostic centers, private infirmaries, etc. offering an environmentally correct solution, ensuring the protection of public health, dealing with the irrational hospitals’ Waste Management. The company holds 97% of the hospital waste management market in the Region of Crete and meets its financial obligations by showing growth by the beginning of its operation until today.
The University of the Aegean, through its research potential and research laboratories, has developed successful past and active collaborations with research institutions, companies, but also with development, social and business organizations. These collaborations have been achieved and continue to exist, through joint training and research programs and exchanges within national (NSRF) and European programs such as H2020, European Territorial Cooperation, Erasmus + and other development initiatives. Within the framework of the NSRF 2014-2021, the University of the Aegean actively participates in 10 operations of Research-Creating-Innovating projects of the First Cycle with a total budget of € 2,209,539.46 (sectors of nanotechnology, tourism, culture and creative industries, ICT, environment and sustainable development, transport), in bilateral cooperation actions (Greece-China) and ERA-NETs networks, and in special actions AQUACULTURE, INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS, OPEN INNOVATION IN CULTURE funded by the EU.
During the last three years (2016-2019), the University of the Aegean has collaborated with more than 45 research and business organizations, in the framework of implementation of joint research projects of H2020 (indicatively mentioned acronyms of projects: OPTIMUM, PROTOMEDEA, Maas, SEO-DWARF, CREA, RESPOND, SCIREA, BRiDGE II, ADMIGOV, REACT, RURACTION, 6 CEF eiD Projects, TOOP). The cooperation of the University of the Aegean with business bodies concerns mainly in the fields of environment, ICT, education, marine sciences, entrepreneurship, shipping, transport, tourism and culture. The University of the Aegean participates in 8 national research infrastructures of the National Road Map: EN.IRISST (Shipping, Transport, Logistics and Supply chain), DeTAnet (High Energy Physic (HEP) groups), So.Da.Net_CESSDA_GR (social sciences and ICT), FoodOmicsGR (Agrofood), Apollonis (Language digital Technologies,), HIMIOFoTS and CMBR (Marine science & Marine Biological Resources) and PANACEA (Environment). In addition, the University of the Aegean has partnered with companies to transfer know-how of its research laboratories and teams, with a view to solving problems and finding solutions that concern them (in the fields of fisheries, shipping, product and packaging design, communication and information technologies, etc.)
The Water and Air Quality Laboratory was founded in 1996 (PD 553 / 10.07.1996, issue B) and specializes in the study of the presence, behavior and hazard of organic and inorganic pollutants in the environment, in the operation of experimental devices for water treatment and wastewater and in the application of models for estimating the transport of pollutants into the environment.
The Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) operates in six different campuses of Crete, with more than 15,000 students and 400 staff members. Two research structures of HMU participate in DIANYA: the Laboratory for the Utilization of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering and the Center for Materials and Photonics Technology. The Laboratory for the Utilization of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering aims at the development of Greek agriculture and economy through the development of methods and tools for the sustainable use of natural resources with particular emphasis on soil and water resources management including the utilization of residues (liquid and solid). The Center for Materials and Photonics Technology is active in the development, study and use of advanced nanomaterials, nanocomposites as well as laboratory prototypes suitable for applications in the environment, energy and optoelectronics. Among other activities, the Center for Materials and Photonics Technology is active in the development of amorphous coatings and micro-, nanostructures of metal oxides (such as TiO2, V2O5 and WO3), which show significant photocatalytic activity, suitable for degradation of liquid and gaseous pollutants, which is particularly recognized.
The Financial and Administrative Support Unit (MODY) of the Special Account for Research Funds (ELKE) of the Technical University of Crete, started its operation in February 1988 with the aim of managing the Research at the Technical University of Crete. According to MD 463/2017 and the provisions and interpretations of Law 4485/ 04-08-2017, and as referred to in the Article 50 "Establishment of a Special Account - Purpose", purpose of ELKE is the management and utilization of scientific research funds coming from any source, as well as from own resources intended to cover expenses of any kind necessary for the execution of the following projects: research, education, training, including continuing education projects, development, seminars and conferences, provision of scientific, technological and artistic services, preparation of special and clinical studies, execution of tests, measurements, laboratory examinations and analyzes, design and implementation of scientific, research, cultural and development programs and other related services, for the benefit of the Technical University of Crete. In its 30 years of operation, the ELKE of the Technical University of Crete has managed more than 2500 research, educational and development projects of internal and external financing. It has participated in European competitive projects, as well as in national co-financed projects. At the same time, it has financed from its available resources, many projects which are characterized as internal financing projects, for the benefit of the research activities of the Technical University of Crete. It has also signed private financing agreements with many companies and organizations in Greece and abroad for the provision of scientific and research services.
The DIANYA project “On-site integrate management of hospital wastewater“, with Project Code: T2EDK-02905, is funded by the National Action: Research – Create – Innovate
[Operational program: “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation (EPAnEK) 2014-2020” (NSRF 2014- 2020), with the co-financing of Greece and the European Union].