Rice University's Water Technologies Entrepreneurship and Research (WaTER) Institute and IDE Technologies have announced a strategic research partnership focused on advancing water treatment and desalination technologies.
The collaboration pairs IDE, an Israeli desalination and water treatment company headquartered in Kadima, with the Houston-based WaTER Institute, a multidisciplinary centre at Rice University. Both organisations say the partnership is intended to accelerate the development and commercialisation of water treatment solutions, with an initial focus on desalination, brine management, PFAS treatment and destruction, and resource recovery.
Under the agreement, IDE will establish a test bed system within the WaTER Institute to enable integration and testing of technologies developed at the institute, generate research-quality data, and provide engagement opportunities for students and IDE partners. The first phase of joint work will centre on IDE's Max H2O Desalter and PFRO wastewater treatment systems, supported by supplementary research from the institute. Targeted areas of innovation include low-salt-rejection reverse osmosis (LSRRO) processes, PFAS destruction technologies, and recovery of critical materials from brine.
The partnership will also create exchange opportunities between the two organisations, including placements for Rice students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers at IDE facilities in the United States, alongside internships or sabbaticals for IDE professionals at the WaTER Institute. Both parties intend to pursue joint grant applications and participate in the ARC Innovation District's Water Technology Accelerator initiative.
Eric Willman, executive director of the WaTER Institute, said the institute values partnerships with industrial operators to ensure its research addresses problems with real-world impact. Tomer Efrat, chief technical officer at IDE, said the alliance is designed to develop water treatment solutions that address both industrial demands and environmental requirements.
