SUEZ and the CNRS have formalised a five-year framework agreement aimed at combining their research and development (R&D) efforts to create innovative solutions that promote sustainable resource management and advance decarbonization technologies.
Jérôme Bailly, Senior Vice President of Innovation, Research, and Services at SUEZ, said: “We are very pleased to enter into this long-term partnership with the CNRS to advance research in water and waste management. SUEZ is built on 160 years of innovation, through our R&D activities, our faith in science, and our industrial capabilities, and will continue to develop new circular solutions for the environment and the preservation of resources.”
Mehdi Gmar, CNRS Deputy Director for Innovation, stated: “The CNRS is delighted to have signed a framework agreement with SUEZ, combining our scientific excellence with that of a world leader in water and waste management. This agreement is a continuation of the relationship of trust established in recent years between the laboratories under the supervision of the CNRS and SUEZ. We share the same commitment to meet the major environmental challenges our society is facing.”
Scientific excellence and environmental innovation
The partnership aims to leverage SUEZ’s innovation capabilities alongside the CNRS’ renowned scientific expertise. The CNRS is one of the world’s foremost research institutions, and this collaboration builds on a successful history, including over thirty cooperative projects in the past decade and shared ownership of a portfolio of 14 patents.
Since 2021, SUEZ has been working with researchers at the Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry in Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP/CNRS/University of Bordeaux), a CNRS laboratory specializing in supercritical fluids. Together, they have developed a groundbreaking hydrothermal gasification facility that is now operational. This innovative technology recovers sewage sludge to produce renewable gas and minerals while effectively eliminating micropollutants. The process also reduces organic waste by 15 to 20 times.
In January 2023, the SUEZ-CNRS pilot, which processes five liters of effluent per hour, began initial operational tests of the continuous flow process (feed/extraction). Following the success of these tests, SUEZ has commenced the construction of an industrial pilot capable of treating 150 liters of sludge per hour at its Terre d'Aquitaine site in Saint-Selve (Gironde), with plans for industrialization.
Applications across water, waste, and industrial decarbonization sectors
As part of their partnership, SUEZ and CNRS will pool their expertise to tackle critical issues in sewage sludge management, seawater desalination, micropollutant treatment, and PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) reduction. Their work will also contribute to decarbonizing industrial sectors and improving waste management processes through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, as well as the dismantling and transformation of materials.
The CNRS scientific teams, known for their excellence, will collaborate closely with SUEZ experts to develop and commercialize cutting-edge technologies. These innovations will focus on advanced water treatment and new methods for recycling and reusing materials, working with the entrepreneurial and start-up ecosystem.
The agreement also highlights the need for dismantling aging infrastructure and minimizing the ecological footprint of industrial activities, while promoting solutions that enable circular resource use across all stakeholders.
Innovation at the heart of SUEZ’s operations
The signing of the framework agreement occurred during the third edition of SUEZ Innovation Day, an international event where the company shared major innovations aimed at addressing the critical challenges surrounding water and waste.
Innovation at SUEZ:
- 400 researchers and 1,300 experts
- 10 Centres of Excellence and Research in France and China
- 1,800 patents filed, including 37 in 2024. SUEZ entered the Top 50 of the National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) for the first time, ranking 37th.
Innovation at CNRS:
- 7th place in the INPI’s ranking of patent applicants (2024 list)
- Nearly 100 start-ups launched annually from CNRS-supervised laboratories
- Over 1,000 new research contracts signed with companies each year
