Houston’s Rice WaTER Institute and Israel’s IDE Technologies collaborate to advance water treatment solutions
IDE Technologies, a world leader in desalination and advanced water treatment solutions, and Rice University’s Water Technologies Entrepreneurship and Research (WaTER) Institute, a multidisciplinary center advancing innovative water treatment technologies, energy transitions and resilient infrastructure, are proud to announce their strategic collaboration.
This partnership brings together IDE’s international and long-standing proven expertise in commercial water treatment and the WaTER Institute’s pioneering water research. The two organizations will leverage their complementary strengths to conduct joint research, share technical know-how and drive the development and commercialization of transformative water solutions in areas such as desalination, brine management, PFAS treatment and destruction and resource recovery.
“Uniting IDE’s global expertise and R&D capabilities in advanced water technologies and the Rice University WaTER Institute’s renowned academic and research prowess, this alliance is poised to deliver groundbreaking, pioneering and holistic water treatment solutions” said Tomer Efrat, chief technical officer at IDE. “These desalination and water treatment solutions address the evolving demands of modern industry and the complexities of environmental stewardship, championing a resilient and sustainable future for communities worldwide.”
Through collaborative efforts in techno-economic assessment, laboratory analysis, industry approvals, manufacturing and market research, IDE and the WaTER Institute aim to accelerate the development and adoption of next-generation technologies.
“We look forward to collaborating with IDE to learn from their successful deployment of market-leading desalination systems,” said Eric Willman, executive director of the WaTER Institute. “At the WaTER Institute we value partnerships with industrial leaders like IDE to ensure we are working on the most impactful problems to solve.”
The initial phase of this collaboration focuses on advancing IDE’s flagship wastewater treatment solutions, including the Max H2O Desalter and PFRO, with supplementary research from the WaTER Institute. Areas of targeted innovation include novel desalination and brine management processes such as LSRRO, breakthrough PFAS treatment and destruction technologies and resource recovery technologies for critical materials from brine.
“This collaboration strengthens IDE’s long-standing commitment to the Texas water community,” said Rosemary Niechcial, CEO of IDE Water Solutions North America. “By partnering with a leading academic institution like Rice University, we’re not only advancing research and innovation but also deepening our engagement with local industries, utilities and communities that are shaping the region’s sustainable water future.”
“Water scarcity, contamination and climate resilience are global challenges that demand bold solutions,” said Pedro J.J. Alvarez, director of the WaTER Institute. “Partnering with IDE allows us to move breakthrough ideas out of the lab and into real-world deployment faster, combining our research strengths with their proven engineering and operational expertise. Together, we aim to deliver scalable technologies that change the way the world treats, recovers and values water.”
Key elements of the partnership include establishing an IDE test bed system within the WaTER Institute to enable integration and testing of the institute’s developed systems, research-quality data generation and engagement for students and IDE partners.
“We are excited to collaborate with IDE Technologies, a global leader in membrane-based desalination and water treatment,” said Menachem Elimelech, who leads the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence. “At the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence, our faculty are working at the forefront of fundamental and applied research in membrane-based technologies for desalination, water reuse and resource recovery. This partnership allows us to combine academic innovation with IDE’s real-world expertise, accelerating the development of impactful technologies that address pressing global water challenges.”
The alliance will further create exchange opportunities, including placements for Rice students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers at IDE facilities across the United States, as well as internships or sabbaticals for IDE professionals at the WaTER Institute in collaboration with its faculty.
The partnership will also facilitate IDE to participate in the ARC Innovation district to support the Water Technology Accelerator initiative, while both organizations will jointly pursue grant submissions aligned with their shared mission in view of the partnership.
By combining IDE’s global reach and innovative engineering with the WaTER Institute’s academic excellence and research capabilities, this partnership will deliver creative and comprehensive water treatment solutions that meet today’s industrial demands and environmental challenges, supporting a sustainable future for communities worldwide.
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This partnership brings together IDE’s international and long-standing proven expertise in commercial water treatment and the WaTER Institute’s pioneering water research. The two organizations will leverage their complementary strengths to conduct joint research, share technical know-how and drive the development and commercialization of transformative water solutions in areas such as desalination, brine management, PFAS treatment and destruction and resource recovery.
“Uniting IDE’s global expertise and R&D capabilities in advanced water technologies and the Rice University WaTER Institute’s renowned academic and research prowess, this alliance is poised to deliver groundbreaking, pioneering and holistic water treatment solutions” said Tomer Efrat, chief technical officer at IDE. “These desalination and water treatment solutions address the evolving demands of modern industry and the complexities of environmental stewardship, championing a resilient and sustainable future for communities worldwide.”
Through collaborative efforts in techno-economic assessment, laboratory analysis, industry approvals, manufacturing and market research, IDE and the WaTER Institute aim to accelerate the development and adoption of next-generation technologies.
“We look forward to collaborating with IDE to learn from their successful deployment of market-leading desalination systems,” said Eric Willman, executive director of the WaTER Institute. “At the WaTER Institute we value partnerships with industrial leaders like IDE to ensure we are working on the most impactful problems to solve.”
The initial phase of this collaboration focuses on advancing IDE’s flagship wastewater treatment solutions, including the Max H2O Desalter and PFRO, with supplementary research from the WaTER Institute. Areas of targeted innovation include novel desalination and brine management processes such as LSRRO, breakthrough PFAS treatment and destruction technologies and resource recovery technologies for critical materials from brine.
“This collaboration strengthens IDE’s long-standing commitment to the Texas water community,” said Rosemary Niechcial, CEO of IDE Water Solutions North America. “By partnering with a leading academic institution like Rice University, we’re not only advancing research and innovation but also deepening our engagement with local industries, utilities and communities that are shaping the region’s sustainable water future.”
“Water scarcity, contamination and climate resilience are global challenges that demand bold solutions,” said Pedro J.J. Alvarez, director of the WaTER Institute. “Partnering with IDE allows us to move breakthrough ideas out of the lab and into real-world deployment faster, combining our research strengths with their proven engineering and operational expertise. Together, we aim to deliver scalable technologies that change the way the world treats, recovers and values water.”
Key elements of the partnership include establishing an IDE test bed system within the WaTER Institute to enable integration and testing of the institute’s developed systems, research-quality data generation and engagement for students and IDE partners.
“We are excited to collaborate with IDE Technologies, a global leader in membrane-based desalination and water treatment,” said Menachem Elimelech, who leads the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence. “At the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence, our faculty are working at the forefront of fundamental and applied research in membrane-based technologies for desalination, water reuse and resource recovery. This partnership allows us to combine academic innovation with IDE’s real-world expertise, accelerating the development of impactful technologies that address pressing global water challenges.”
The alliance will further create exchange opportunities, including placements for Rice students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers at IDE facilities across the United States, as well as internships or sabbaticals for IDE professionals at the WaTER Institute in collaboration with its faculty.
The partnership will also facilitate IDE to participate in the ARC Innovation district to support the Water Technology Accelerator initiative, while both organizations will jointly pursue grant submissions aligned with their shared mission in view of the partnership.
By combining IDE’s global reach and innovative engineering with the WaTER Institute’s academic excellence and research capabilities, this partnership will deliver creative and comprehensive water treatment solutions that meet today’s industrial demands and environmental challenges, supporting a sustainable future for communities worldwide.
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