Aqvita at the EDS Porto Conference
In April 2025, Aqvita had the honor of participating in the European Desalination Society (EDS) conference in Porto—an event fully dedicated to exploring the impacts of desalination on water quality, public health, and environmental sustainability.
The theme of this year’s conference—how to ensure high-quality drinking water in a world increasingly reliant on desalinated sources—perfectly matched our mission. Aqvita was invited to speak during the Remineralization session, alongside recognized experts from Suez and Lhoist, two leaders in the global water treatment industry.
Our presentation focused on Aqvita’s enzyme-based remineralization technology, a novel approach to reintroducing essential minerals—particularly magnesium—into desalinated water in a more efficient and sustainable way.
Aqvita founder Philippe Tob, EDS Porto Conference
Immobilized Enzymes for Sustainable Magnesium Delivery
At the core of our innovation is the use of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which catalyzes the conversion of CO₂ and water into carbonic acid. This reaction significantly accelerates the dissolution of mineral powders such as magnesium carbonate or hydroxide, which are otherwise slow to dissolve in purified water.
To optimize the practical use of this enzyme in real-world systems, Aqvita unveiled its new method for enzyme immobilization: a bio-compatible textile coated with a thin layer of biopolymer, onto which the enzyme is stably fixed. This innovation ensures longer enzyme lifespan, facilitates reactor design, and supports modular deployment in both centralized and decentralized desalination systems.
Economic and Environmental Impact
Beyond technical innovation, our approach brings concrete economic and environmental benefits:
Smaller footprint: Faster dissolution means smaller reaction vessels, enabling more compact designs.
Efficient CO₂ use: Our system maximizes CO₂ utilization for both pH control and mineral dissolution, reducing waste and operational cost.
Health benefit: By ensuring reliable magnesium dosing, our system supports public health goals tied to cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Academic Collaboration
This work was developed in collaboration with KU Leuven, one of Europe’s leading R&D institutions, and in particular the research group led by Prof. Veerle Vandeginste. Their expertise in catalysis, water chemistry, and materials science played a critical role in validating the scientific and engineering foundations of our solution.
Conclusion
We’re proud to be contributing to the global conversation on how to make desalinated water not just safe, but healthy. The warm reception from EDS attendees, including utilities, researchers, and technology providers, confirms the growing relevance of functional water treatment in today’s desalination landscape.
We thank the EDS organizers for the opportunity and look forward to continuing this work with our partners.
For more information about our enzyme-based technology or to explore collaboration, don’t hesitate to get in touch.