On January 29, 2021, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) published the Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) tender for the development of solutions for monitoring the quality of surface water. The aim of this initiative is to validate a low-cost, high-efficiency water quality alert network. Specifically, innovative solutions, non-existent in the market, are sought to measure or estimate the water quality at priority control points in the Duero river basin, presenting reliability equivalent to or higher than the current SAICA network.

Innovative public procurement enables the international dissemination of Spanish technology and the consolidation of R&D&I business projects, as well as the global commercialization of new innovative products and services.

This initiative is executed through eliminatory phases, with a maximum of 5 winners in Phase I, and 2 in Phases II and III:

• PHASE I: Solution design. 3 months from the contract formalization.
• PHASE II: Development of a prototype or testing of the proposed solution. 12 months after Phase I certification.
• PHASE III: Pre-operational verification. 9 months from Phase II certification, with the final completion date set for March 31, 2023.

Having delivered the prototypes and completed all tasks specified at the end of the last phase, AQUACORP successfully passed Phase III, obtaining validation from the General Water Directorate, the top Spanish regulatory body.

Our technology has satisfactorily and successfully passed the validation process, making it the first Spanish startup to lead, execute, and successfully complete a PCP process.

Our design incorporates innovative elements, enabling continuous real-time quality control and a substantial reduction in implementation and operating costs due to remote operation and non-contact features using external imaging. These features facilitate the progressive extension of the network to other points of interest that are currently not monitored.

Our solution allows non-intrusive monitoring of various physicochemical parameters, with individual estimation carried out according to the control point and parameter, once the calibration period is completed.

Thanks to the PCP, our position as leaders in innovation in this field has been consolidated. The evolution of our technology has allowed us to transition to the commercial phase, placing us in a privileged position to offer cutting-edge solutions in water quality monitoring on a global scale.