UdG hosts the European Membrane Society’s summer school on water treatment

Two research groups from the University of Girona (LEQUIA and QAA) and the Membranet network (with 11 research groups across Spain) organized the 2026 Summer School of the European Membrane Society. The event, held from August 31 to September 4 at the Faculty of Sciences and the Research and Innovation Park, brought together over 50 students and professors from different European countries.

The initiative aims to provide training in membrane technology to postgraduate students and early-career researchers. The 2026 edition held in Girona combined theoretical sessions, laboratory practices, and a field visit to  into the principles and applications of this technology, which is highly relevant to the water sector. The training program covered the entire membrane lifecycle—from design and operation to the end-of-life stage—and addressed various filtration processes. Cross-cutting topics, such as open-access publishing, were also covered.

To achieve these objectives, the summer brought together speakers from universities, research centers, and private companies. Academic instruction was provided by researchers from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Plataforma Solar de Almería,  IMDEA center in Madrid, and the Universitat de Girona itself. Wihtin the business sector, speakers included representatives from membrane manufacturer company DuPont, technological center CETAQUA, the Girona-based startup Ecomemb (specialized in membrane regeneration), and the Catalan Water Partnership. A field visit took place at the leachate treatment plant operated by TELWESA at the Lloret de Mar landfill. Finally, a session on open-access publishing was led by representatives from the scientific journal Membranes—one of the event’s two sponsors, alongside the Càtedra ATL de l’Aigua Potable.

This successful training event builds upon the 2023 membrane technology summer school, which was also organized by the UdG but within the framework of the Erasmus+ BIP program. The 2026 Summer School will contribute to showcase the membrane technology research conducted by the two organizing UdG groups: the Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (LEQUIA) and the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Research Group (QAA).