The project

  • Europe’s urban water systems are at a crossroads. Climate variability, rapid urbanisation, and ageing infrastructure are testing the limits of traditional management models demanding smarter, decentralised, and circular solutions that seamlessly connect with existing networks. The EU-funded NAMOR project unites 14 partners from Europe and beyond to reimagine urban water treatment. At its heart lies an advanced hybrid bacteria-microalgae–membrane photobioreactor that integrates biological and digital intelligence in a compact, modular, plug-and-play design capable of retrofitting centralised infrastructures or operating as an autonomous local unit that can be integrated within a centralized network.

  • NAMOR transforms wastewater into a resource, coupling energy-efficient purification with the recovery of water, nutrients, and bioenergy. Its intelligent digital twin, powered by AI-driven monitoring and decision support, enables adaptive performance across climates and scales, while social science insights ensure public trust and acceptance. By bridging decentralised innovation with centralised resilience, NAMOR is not just upgrading Europe’s water systems, it’s shaping a new paradigm of circular, data-smart, and climate-resilient urban water management for the future.

  • The project is implemented across demonstration sites representing high, medium, and low temperature climates to ensure robust performance in real-world conditions. Through a combination of cutting-edge monitoring technologies, AI-based analytics, and strong social science methodologies, NAMOR aims to accelerate the transition toward a resilient, sustainable, and socially accepted urban water cycle.
NAMOR Project

Goals

1

Deploy a modular microalgae-membrane photobioreactor system that enables decentralized treatment of urban wastewater, producing high-quality effluents with minimal energy input and environmental impact.

2

Develop and validate a digital twin model, equipped with real-time sensor networks and predictive analytics, to monitor system performance, forecast maintenance needs, and support dynamic operational control.

3

Integrate an AI-based Decision Support System (DSS) that optimizes resource recovery—water, nutrients, and energy—tailored to site-specific and climatic conditions.

4

Demonstrate climate-resilient performance by piloting the technology in three diverse European regions, each characterized by distinct temperatures and lighting conditions, ensuring wide-scale applicability.

5

Valorise biomass produced during treatment, through nutrient and energy recovery processes, contributing to a circular economy approach.

6

Foster public awareness and stakeholder participation, embedding social science methodologies to assess acceptance of decentralized water reuse solutions and co-create policy recommendations that support uptake.

7

Support scalability and market adoption, by analysing regulatory frameworks, identifying business models, and exploring international deployment opportunities.

How will NAMOR operate?

hybrid treatment system

Develop a compact hybrid treatment system that merges microalgae-bacteria co-cultivation with advanced membrane filtration, enabling efficient and sustainable treatment of diverse wastewater streams.

real-time digital twin model

Create a real-time digital twin model, enhanced by sensor networks and predictive analytics, to continuously monitor and optimize photobioreactor performance under varying environmental conditions.

AI-powered Decision Support System

Design an AI-powered Decision Support System (DSS) that improves energy efficiency, enhances treatment effectiveness, and maximizes water and nutrient recovery based on local needs.

Validate the system in three different climate zones

Validate the system in three different climate zones, demonstrating its reliability and adaptability across high, medium, and low temperature conditions in real-world settings.

Valorise the biomass produced

Valorise the biomass produced through nutrient and energy recovery, supporting circular economy principles and reducing environmental impact.

Study public perception and behaviour

Study public perception and behaviour towards decentralized water reuse, using participatory approaches to improve citizen acceptance and inform inclusive policy design.

Examine the policy, regulatory, and market landscape

Examine the policy, regulatory, and market landscape to identify barriers and opportunities for scaling NAMOR technologies in Europe and internationally.