Incopa

What Incopa does

Incopa is a Brussels-based non-profit trade association representing European producers of inorganic coagulants, operating as a sector group under Cefic (the European Chemical Industry Council). The association represents more than 30 member companies operating approximately 80 production units across 21 European countries, collectively accounting for 85% of European inorganic coagulant production capacity and producing 4 million tonnes of coagulants annually. Its member industry contributes approximately 1 billion EUR to the European economy.

The association's technical focus centers on aluminium-based coagulants (aluminium sulfate, aluminium chloride, sodium aluminate, poly aluminium chloride) and iron-based coagulants (ferric chloride, ferrous sulfate). These products serve drinking water purification, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment (including phosphorus removal), paper manufacturing, agricultural applications, and cement production. INCOPA conducts regulatory monitoring and advocacy on EU frameworks including REACH, CLP, the Industrial Emissions Directive, and water quality directives, while participating in the AlFe REACH Consortium and the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform.

INCOPA's business model is membership-fee funded (subscription/recurring), with no direct product sales. It does not manufacture or distribute coagulants itself; member companies handle direct sales to municipal water utilities, wastewater treatment plants, and industrial end users. The association's value proposition emphasizes the cost-efficiency of inorganic coagulation (coagulants represent only 0.5% of total water purification costs, at roughly 0.50 EUR per person per year for drinking water), 50% lower electricity consumption versus biological treatment, and the circular economy benefits of sourcing 70% of raw materials from industrial by-products such as steel pickling and titanium dioxide production waste streams.

Name

Incopa

Legal name

INCOPA (European Inorganic Coagulants Producers Association)

Website

https://incopa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Incopa is a Brussels-based non-profit trade association representing 30+ European inorganic coagulant producers, accounting for 85% of European production capacity across 21 countries. It advocates for aluminium and iron salt coagulants used in water treatment, wastewater, paper, agriculture, and cement industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Industry Trade Association / Water Treatment Inputs

NAICS

Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (32518), Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (4246)

SIC

Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Coagulants, Flocculants & Dewatering Aids (IMAEAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN), Industrial Wastewater Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAC), Disinfection & Oxidation (Chlorine/Chloramine, UV, Ozone, AOP) (EUANABAD), Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Water treatment chemicals
• Inorganic coagulants production
• Chemical industry association
• Aluminium iron salts
• Wastewater treatment solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: INCOPA operates as a trade association under Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council). Revenue is derived from membership fees charged to coagulant producer companies. Members benefit from regulatory monitoring, industry advocacy, and access to technical expertise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Incopa (the European Inorganic Coagulants Producers Association) is a non-profit trade association representing more than 30 European producers of inorganic coagulants (aluminium and iron salts) used for water treatment. It supports its members through industry advocacy, regulatory monitoring (REACH, CLP, EU water directives), technical expertise, communication, and promotion of inorganic coagulants for drinking water purification, wastewater treatment, and industrial applications such as papermaking, agriculture, and cement.

Product overview

INCOPA represents the European inorganic coagulants industry as an association, not a single unified product company. The portfolio includes two primary coagulant product categories: Aluminium Salts (aluminium sulfate, aluminium chloride, sodium aluminate, poly aluminium chloride/PAC) and Iron Salts (ferric chloride, ferrous sulfate/copperas). These coagulants work through a coagulation-flocculation-separation process where positively charged metal ions neutralize negatively charged colloids in water, forming larger flocs that can be removed via sedimentation, floatation, or filtration. The products serve critical applications in drinking water treatment, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, paper manufacturing, agricultural crop protection, and cement industry processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aluminium Salts Coagulants
• Iron Salts Coagulants Iron-based inorganic coagulants (ferric chloride and ferrous sulfate / copperas), often derived from industrial by-products, used for phosphorus removal, wastewater treatment, agricultural crop protection, and chromate reduction in cement.
• Coagulation and Flocculation Solutions Chemical water treatment solution in which positively charged metal ions (Men+) neutralize negatively charged colloids to form larger flocs that can be removed by sedimentation, floatation, or filtration. Applied by municipal water utilities, wastewater treatment plants, and industrial users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18% less energy required, 25% less tank volume needed, 32% more biogas production in water treatment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2016INCOPA joined ESPP to address phosphorus challenge and opportunities. ESPP brings together companies and stakeholders to address phosphorus sustainability in water and wastewater treatment.
• Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINCOPA is a sector group of Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council. Cefic provides administrative support and INCOPA operates within the Cefic framework. All INCOPA events are conducted in accordance with European anti-trust laws under Cefic guidance.
• IVL Swedish Environmental Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIVL conducted Life Cycle Analysis studies for INCOPA comparing environmental impact of different wastewater treatment processes and carbon footprint assessments of chemical and biological phosphorus removal.
• ReachCentrum Aluminium and Iron Salts REACH ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINCOPA members participate in the AlFe REACH Consortium which handles Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances compliance for aluminium and iron salts producers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International Water Association (IWA): IWA is a global network of water professionals spanning utilities, academia, and industry. It is comparable as a broader, more globally oriented water-sector association engaging on treatment standards and research relevant to coagulants.
• Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council): Cefic is the parent umbrella body of which INCOPA is a sector group, representing the broader European chemical industry. It is directly comparable as a trade association serving overlapping members and engaging in similar EU regulatory advocacy.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF): WEF is a US-based water-quality organization focused on wastewater treatment. It is comparable as a broader water-sector association whose technical work on phosphorus removal and treatment standards parallels INCOPA's advocacy focus.

Direct peers

• ReachCentrum (AlFe REACH Consortium): ReachCentrum hosts the AlFe REACH Consortium in which INCOPA members participate. It is a comparable REACH-focused consortium structure that delivers joint regulatory compliance to chemical producers, operating on similar association-style governance.
• Euro Chlor: Euro Chlor is a Cefic sector group representing the European chlor-alkali industry. It is directly comparable as a Brussels-based, Cefic-affiliated trade association running technical, regulatory, and communication committees for inorganic chemical producers.
• EurEau (European Federation of National Water Services): EurEau represents European water service providers and engages with EU water legislation. It is a natural counterpart to INCOPA, sitting on the demand side of the same coagulant market and participating in overlapping regulatory consultations.
• European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP): ESPP is a multi-stakeholder platform on phosphorus sustainability that INCOPA formally partners with. It is comparable as a Europe-based, member-driven organization focused on phosphorus-related water and wastewater policy.

Emerging players

• Association of Water Technologies (AWT): AWT represents water treatment professionals and is relevant to industrial water treatment applications for coagulants. It is an adjacent, smaller-scale association with overlapping technical content on coagulation and flocculation practices.

Regional players

• Water UK: Water UK is the trade body for the UK water industry. It is a comparable national-level water association engaging on regulatory and treatment issues that influence coagulant demand in one of INCOPA's member countries.
• American Water Works Association (AWWA): AWWA is the leading US water utility association setting standards for drinking water treatment. It is a regional counterpart to INCOPA, performing similar standards-development and advocacy functions for the North American coagulant market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/incopa

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Incopa