Innovation

A system to foster research and innovation

The research and innovation (R&I) carried out at SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is structured around several governance bodies. These bodies aim to propose, identify, finance and monitor research projects on a long- or short-term basis.

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has restructured the governance of its R&I programs around 3 areas:

• Exploratory research, which can involve academic partnerships, investigates new territories or areas within the Group’s areas of operation. Such research is directed by a board composed of representatives from the entire Group in order to initiate long-term projects.
• Applied research is directly overseen by operational and specialised entities, depending on the business segments involved.
• Technological development is carried out by operational units.

The Group also has an innovation investment fund: Blue Orange. This fund supports the commercial and industrial development of young companies that create innovative technology in the environmental services sector. With a budget of €50 million over 10 years, Blue Orange positions itself as an investor and industrial partner.

At the same time, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has launched Innovation Task Force, a system to govern and steer innovation. It identifies innovative projects that could be accelerated by financing technological tests and industrial pilot projects. Over 20 projects have already been launched.

Environmental performance as a goal

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is making a difference by continuously offering innovative solutions to its customers. The Group helps customers reconcile economic performance with environmental performance by ensuring:

• a reasonable use of water resources and the development of innovative production and sanitation solutions,
• the optimisation of recycling rates and energy recovery from waste

The Group is helping establish a new development model focused on operations inspired by natural cycles. Its proposed solutions intervene in the great water cycle to protect water quantity and quality. These solutions also protect biodiversity through specific programmes such as the tailored management of industrial sites.

Emblematic projects symbolizing the Group’s expertise

• Degrés Bleus: a solution to promote energy-efficient heating and help reduce carbon footprints

With the innovative Degrés Bleus, Lyonnaise des Eaux supplies all or part of the energy a building consumes for heating and air-conditioning by recovering heat from the wastewater treatment network. By using a heat pump the system is reversible: it can provide hot air during the winter and cool air during the summer. This is the case, for example, at the Levallois-Perret Aquatic Center, one of the first buildings to be fitted with such a system. 

Optimal temperature from wastewater heat

• France Plastique Recyclage

SITA France and the Paprec Group, two of the leading recycling companies in France, have joined forces to create a unique site for processing sorted plastic bottles to produce other food-grade bottles.

Processing plastic bottles

• Cynar Plc and Blue Orange

SITA UK and its partner Cynar Plc give plastic a new lease on life, limiting the amount of waste sent to landfills by recycling some of the bottles into fuel.

Diesel from plastic