EDINA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, celebrated the grand opening of the Global Water Technology Development Center at the Dow facilities in a ceremony June 9 in Tarragona, Spain. The state-of-the-art center is designed to accelerate the commercialization of Dow’s technologies that make possible the production of clean water.
“This center represents a significant investment for Dow. It’s a one-of-a-kind facility staffed with leading industry experts to meet one of the world’s most pressing needs – clean water,” said Ian Barbour, general manager, Dow Water & Process Solutions. “The central location is ideal to support our customers in the region and gives us access to the wide variety of water sources, including waste water and seawater, to support product development and performance testing in real world conditions.”
“As we celebrate our 50-year anniversary in Spain, this new center reinforces Dow´s commitment to the country,” said Anton Valero, chairman and general manager of Dow Chemical Ibérica. “This project is a continuation of Dow’s robust research and development investment program in Spain, which includes an octane plant and the European Development Center of Excellence for plastics films, both in Tarragona, and with the Technology Center of Polyurethanes Systems in Ribaforada [Navarra].”
The Global Water Technology Development Center was funded through a U.S. $15 million Dow investment, along with grant subsidies from Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation for research programs in this area, which is in line with the Spanish government’s commitment to research and development in the field of sustainable water supplies.
“Dow Chemical is a good example of an industrial group with deep and centuries-old roots that has been able to grow through constant innovation vocation. This advanced technology center will undoubtedly be a source of wealth and new jobs for the region,” said the minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia. “Spain offers the best conditions to attract industrial investment and I am convinced that these conditions will help to position this Center as a world reference in R&D in the field of water technology,” added Garmendia.
Initial research efforts will be directed to areas such as:
• Improving the quality of desalinated water;
• Minimizing costs and reducing energy consumption per cubic meter;
• Extending the useful life of membranes, which is a long-term cost for desalination plants; and,
• Increasing efficiency of materials.
Dow Water & Process Solutions is an innovation leader in reverse osmosis and ion exchange resin technologies. Advanced technologies from Dow Water &Process Solutions helps communities worldwide to broaden their water sourcing options, and DOW FILMTEC™ components help desalination be an economically viable method of treating seawater to address global water shortages. Dow has research and development centers in Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania in the United States; China; Brazil; Germany; Saudi Arabia; and Spain. Learn more about Dow innovation at www.DowWaterandProcess.com.
About Dow Water & Process Solutions
The global leader in sustainable separation and purification technology, Dow Water & Process Solutions is making a clear impact in the world. We’re helping to make water safer and more accessible, food taste better, pharmaceuticals more effective and industries more efficient and spearheading the development of sustainable technologies that integrate water and energy requirements. Dow Water & Process Solutions offers a broad portfolio of ion exchange resins, reverse osmosis membranes, ultra filtration membranes and electrodeionization products, with strong positions in a number of major application areas, including industrial and municipal water, industrial processes, pharmaceuticals, power, residential water and waste and water reuse. More information about Dow Water & Process Solutions can be found at www.dowwaterandprocess.com.
About Dow
Dow combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.