Rovira I Virgili University - Technology and Innovation Centres

Technology and Innovation Centres

• CITEE – Technological Innovation Centre in Electrical Engineering

The Centre for Technological Innovation in Electronic Engineering (CITEE) of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili is a member of CIDEM’s IT network of Technological Innovation Centres. It was created in 1999 and its objective is to promote research, development, technology transfer, innovation and lifelong learning in companies and technology centres.

The CITEE works in the general thematic area of the information technologies and, more specifically, in electronic technologies and instrumentation, control and automation, communications, robotics, industrial computing and electrical engineering.

The CITEE’s activity has its origins in the R&D and technology transfer carried out by the Department of Electronic, Electric and Automatic Engineering since it was founded in 1993.

The Centre is located in the School of Engineering on the Campus Sescelades in Tarragona.

• ATIC – Advanced Technology Innovation Centre

ATIC works on patents and transfer projects in the fields of biotechnology, the environment, fluid mechanics and health in conjunction with the national and international manufacturing sector. It also provides consultancy and technical reports in its fields of expertise.

As far as the environment is concerned, the Centre focuses on environmental protection, wind engineering, green engineering and sustainable chemistry.

In the field of fluid technology, the areas studied are experimental and computational fluid mechanics, mass and heat transport, computational science and applied mathematics.

The Biotechnology Area is certified by the ISO 13485: 2003 for the design and production of medical and health products. Work is carried out on biosensors, immunosensors, nanobiotechnology, biochips and multisensors, to mention just a few examples.

The Health Area is also certified by the ISO. Its main objective is to develop new knowledge on the confluence of bio-, micro- and nanotechnology in an attempt to develop diagnostic systems that are economic, non-invasive and intelligent, and which are potentially applicable to clinical, environmental and/or food analysis. Among the studies undertaken, of particular importance are the systems for detecting gluten in food and the detection of celiac disease.

• AMIC – Environmental and Industrial Applications of Catalysis

AMIC is an innovation centre of the Cidem IT Network that works to offer key-in-hand solutions to environmental and industrial problems occurring in the manufacturing sectors. It specializes in heterogeneous catalysis and materials.

AMIC’s considerable experience in heterogeneous catalysis means that the centre can deal with all sorts of environmental and process problems using such catalytic reactions as selective hydrogenation, selective dehydrogenation, selective oxidation, selective hydrodechloration, isomeraization, aldolic and Claisen-Schmidt condensation and etherification.

AMIC designs, synthesizes, characterizes and evaluates the performance, selectivity and life of catalysts. It also works on the synthesis of microporous and mesoporous materials such as zeolites, HMS, MCM, SBA, mesoporous cerium oxide, hydrotalcites, activated carbon, high surface area aluminium fluoride, different phases of aluminium oxide, and nanomaterials such as Ag, Au, Pt, Cu and Pd nanocubes and other morphologies.

• TecaT – Innovation Centre in Catalyst Development for Sustainable Processes

The Innovation Centre in Catalyst Development for Sustainable Processes is the sixth URV innovation centre that belongs to the CIDEM IT Network (Catalan Government). The origins of the Centre lie in the research carried out by the group Organometallics and Homogeneous Catalysis (OMICH) of the URV’s Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. This group researches into catalysts and since the middle of the 1980s has mainly worked on homogeneous and enantioselective catalysis. It has always received public funding.

TecaT’s mission is to promote and manage this research in an attempt to apply innovative technologies in processes that require highly active and selective catalysts and develop environmentally sustainable processes. As well as this technology transfer activity in the field of catalysis, the Centre works with the URV on the Master’s Degree in Catalysis and training courses.

• METEOR - Membrane Technology and Process Engineering

METEOR’s mission is to provide the companies and institutions of our regional, national and international environment with expertise and knowledge, and to develop new products in the fields of membrane technology and process engineering.

METEOR belongs to the TECNIO d’ACC1Ó network of the Catalan Government and is involved in the following activities:

- Research and development

• in technology and microtechnology of membranes
• in membrane process engineering
• in polymer synthesis

- Technology transfer

• in technology and microtechnology of membranes and polymers
• in process engineering

- Courses

• made to measure on technology and microtechnology of membranes and polymers

• TecnATox - Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology

The mission of TecnATox is to carry out research and development in the field of environmental protection in Europe and satisfy the needs of government and the manufacturing sectors through knowledge and technology transfer in order to improve health and the quality of life, and protect the environment. TecnATox is a research centre that specializes in the transfer of technology in the ambit of toxicology, environmental health and food. It is a member of Xarxa TECNIO d'ACC1Ó (Network of support to technological innovation).

The centre is located at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Reus, the School of Chemical Engineering and the Faculty of Education Sciences and Psychology of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, both in Tarragona.

The Toxicology and Environmental Health Laboratory (LTSM) was founded in 1985 and, at present, is staffed by highly qualified research and technical personnel with considerable experience in the study, development and industrial implementation of all the services. In 2008, the LTSM was converted into the Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology (TecnATox). The Centre officially became a member of the Xarxa IT (Network for Technological Innovation), which gives support to technological innovation. This network now goes under the name of TECNIO.

TecnATox has at its disposal the necessary infrastructure and equipment to ensure the success of all its projects: fully equipped laboratories, the latest simulation software, environmental databases, etc. Absolute professionalism and confidentiality are guaranteed.

TecnATox was one of the first research groups in Catalonia, Spain and Europe to evaluate the risks to human health of exposure to environmental chemical agents. The Centre is divided into four areas of expertise:

• Environmental health and risk assessment
• Food toxicology
• Evaluative toxicology
• Taylor-made courses

And it takes an interest in the following sectors:

• Chemicals
• Plastics
• Waste
• Pharmacy and cosmetics
• Detergents
• Cements
• Electricity and electronics
• Water
• Energy
• Automotion
• Food
• Health

The Universitat Rovira i Virgili and TecnATox have the following objectives:

• To carry out research and development in the field of environmental protection in Europe.
• To satisfy the needs of the government and the manufacturing sectors.
• To transfer knowledge and technology in order to improve health and quality of life, and protect the environment.

• CTNS – Technology Centre for Nutrition and Health

The Technology Centre for Nutrition and Health gives food companies support and assistance in the field of nutrition and health. It carries out research and provides scientific services throughout the process involved in designing, producing, validating and marketing a functional food which, by its very nature, must have a healthy nutritional profile.

The Centre has the institutional support of ACC1Ó (Agency for the Innovation and Internationalization of Catalan Enterprise), the Universitat Rovira I Virgili and the Reus Town Council, as well as 14 representative companies from the sector. It is also a member of the following knowledge, research, transfer and innovation networks: The European NutriGenomics Organisation (NuGO), the Catalan Association of Technology (ACTec), the National Network of Biostatistics (Biostatnet), the Network of Scientific Culture Units (UCC - FECYT) and the Innovative Business Association for Nutrition and Health (AINS).

• CTQC – Chemistry Technology Centre of Catalonia

The Chemistry Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTQC) is a non-profit making private foundation that was created in 2008 with the purpose of making an effective contribution to sustainability, competitiveness, innovation and technological progress in the chemical sector in Catalonia by providing services, carrying out RDI projects, and creating, adapting and transferring innovative technologies in a framework of collaboration with other agents.

Among the Centre’s priorities are research into new materials, water technology and the application of European environmental directives to the chemical industry.

The Centre is a member of the Catalan Government’s ACC1Ó Network of Technology Centres, and the Southern Catalonia Campus of International Excellence (CEICS).