Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente

What Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente does

Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente (IIAMA) is a university research institute founded in 2001 within the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in Valencia, Spain. It operates as a multidisciplinary research center focused on the hydrological cycle and environmental engineering, organized into 12 specialized research groups covering more than 50 research lines including wastewater treatment, hydrology, hydraulics, hydrogeology, environmental microbiology, and nature-based solutions. The institute is staffed by more than 100 personnel, including approximately 55 PhD researchers and 15 full professors (catedráticos), and operates six specialized laboratories totaling approximately 4,350 m² of physical infrastructure.

IIAMA's core technical assets include proprietary simulation and control software (DESASS for wastewater treatment plant modeling and LodifBioControl for process control including aeration, pH, membrane filtration, and nutrient removal), alongside specialized laboratory equipment for water quality analysis, environmental microbiology using molecular techniques and next-generation sequencing, ecological assessment of aquatic ecosystems, and physical hydraulic modeling. The institute is the official seat of the Spanish Group of the International Association of Hydrogeology (IAH) and its fluvial engineering laboratory is part of the Spanish Hydraulic Laboratories Network. IIAMA produces scientific publications, doctoral theses, and presents at international conferences, while also operating an academic awards program.

From a business model perspective, IIAMA does not generate commercial revenue in the traditional sense. Its funding is sourced from competitive research grants at the national and European levels (including Interreg Euro-MED programs such as WATERVILL), R&D contracts and technology transfer agreements with public administration and water sector enterprises, and specialized teaching and training services. The institute maintains two corporate chairs (climate change; sustainable development) and has created a spin-off (IPRESA) to commercialize its intellectual property. Customers and beneficiaries are public administration bodies involved in water management and environmental protection, water sector enterprises, and other research institutions.

Name

Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente

Legal name

Instituto Universitario de Investigación de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente

Website

https://iiama.webs.upv.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IIAMA is a university research institute affiliated with the Universitat Politècnica de València, conducting multidisciplinary research on water engineering and environmental science across 12 research groups and six specialized laboratories, serving public administration, water sector enterprises, and research institutions through grants, R&D contracts, and software technology transfer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Environmental Engineering Research

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADALAH

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

SECONDARYBPAHAJAJ

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Consulting

Keywords

• Water engineering research
• Environmental research services
• Hydrology and hydrogeology
• Wastewater treatment research
• Water resources consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Valencia

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Competitive Research Projects: Funding from national and European competitive research projects, including European projects under Interreg Euro-MED and other international programs.
2. R&D Contracts with Public Administration and Enterprises: Technology transfer and collaboration contracts with public bodies and private companies for research services and technical consulting.
3. Specialized Training and Teaching: Promotion of specialized teaching and technical advisory services in water and environmental topics.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IIAMA is a university research institute that conducts multidisciplinary scientific and technical research on the hydrological cycle and the environment, covering wastewater treatment, hydrology, hydraulics, hydrogeology, environmental microbiology, and remote sensing. It offers specialized technical consulting, laboratory analysis, technology transfer, and proprietary simulation software (DESASS, LodifBioControl) to public administrations and water-sector enterprises.

Product overview

IIAMA is a university research institute that does not offer commercial products in the traditional SaaS sense. Its offerings consist of research services, consulting, laboratory analysis services, and specialized simulation software tools for wastewater treatment (DESASS) and process control (LodifBioControl). The institute operates as part of the Universitat Politècnica de València and focuses on transferring research to enterprises and public organizations rather than selling commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DESASS Simulation Software Simulation tool for wastewater treatment plants (EDAR) that models physical, chemical, and biological processes, using biokinetic model parameters to simulate treatment alternatives and determine optimal treatment schemes.
• LodifBioControl Software Control system for optimizing wastewater treatment plant operation, including aeration control, pH control, membrane filtration processes, sludge blanket height control, and nitrogen and phosphorus removal.
• Specialized Laboratory Analysis Services Analytical and experimental services delivered through six high-capacity laboratories covering environmental technology and impact assessment (586 m²), fluvial engineering and hydraulics (1,600 m²), water quality (559 m²), water microbiology (373 m²), ecology, and edaphology, supporting research and technology transfer activities.
• R&D and Technology Transfer Services Contracted research and technology transfer services delivered through 12 research groups covering more than 50 research lines in wastewater treatment, hydrology, hydraulics, hydrogeology, environmental microbiology, and nature-based solutions, executed under R&D agreements with public administrations and private enterprises.
• Specialized Training and Teaching Specialized teaching and technical advisory programs on water and environmental topics delivered through conferences, scientific congresses, and structured training offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 scientific articles published in journals, presentations at scientific congresses, doctoral theses, competitive research projects, and R&D agreements with administration and enterprises over the last 5 years

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Grupo Español de la Asociación Internacional de Hidrogeología (IAH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAMA serves as the official seat of the Spanish Group of the International Association of Hydrogeology, demonstrating leadership in hydrogeological research and international collaboration in groundwater studies.
• Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAMA is a university research institute affiliated with UPV, located in the Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación science park. UPV provides institutional support and academic framework for the institute's research activities.
• Interreg Euro-MED Program PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIAMA participates in the WATERVILL project, a European initiative co-financed by the European Union that brings together 12 partners from 9 countries to improve water management in rural areas.
• Cátedra de Ingeniería Ambiental frente a los Cambios Climáticos y MeteorológicoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate chair established to promote research and awareness on climate change and its impacts on water resources, awarding annual prizes for doctoral theses.
• Cátedra Planeta y Desarrollo SosteniblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate chair focused on sustainable development research and education, promoting collaboration between the institute and industry partners.
• Red de Laboratorios de Hidráulica de EspañamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fluvial Engineering, Hydraulics and Hydraulic Works Laboratory is part of the Spanish Hydraulic Laboratories Network, enabling collaboration and standardization with other hydraulic research facilities nationwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IMDEA Water: Madrid-based water research institute covering water treatment, hydrology, and aquatic ecosystems; comparable in mission, public funding model, and talent profile to IIAMA.
• ICRA (Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua): Catalan water research institute with multidisciplinary groups across the water cycle; mirrors IIAMA's academic, multidisciplinary structure and competes for EU/Spanish research funding.
• CETAQUA (Centro Tecnológico del Agua): Spanish water technology center running applied research programs with utilities and public bodies; competes for similar R&D contracts and EU-funded water innovation projects as IIAMA.
• IDAEA-CSIC: Spanish National Research Council institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research; closely comparable academic structure and thematic coverage of hydrology, water quality, and environmental microbiology.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with leading water and environmental practices; comparable in offering site assessment, hydrogeology, and water-quality services to public and private clients.
• AECOM Water Services: Global engineering consultancy with large water practice; competes for the same Spanish and EU public-sector water management, treatment, and environmental consulting mandates as IIAMA, but at much greater scale.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions (Veolia): Global water-technology and services provider with active applied research; competes for water-treatment consulting and simulation/control software opportunities where IIAMA's DESASS and LodifBioControl are positioned.
• Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas (CEDEX): Spanish public research and technical-services body attached to the Ministry of Transport; broader mandate but directly competes for public-administration water and environmental engineering mandates.

Emerging players

• iPresas: Spin-off of IIAMA itself focused on dam safety and risk analysis; shares IIAMA's scientific DNA and is the most direct commercialization channel of IIAMA's hydrogeological and hydraulic research.

Regional players

• Euro-Mediterranean Institute for Water (IME): Mediterranean-focused water research and policy institute; comparable in thematic scope around integrated water management and operates in the same Interreg/Euro-MED funding environment as IIAMA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iiama_upv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtzBxf45MEd1Fy0h545Virw
• Facebookfacebook.com/iiama.upv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iiama
• Instagraminstagram.com/iiama_upv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente