Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd. (President and Chief Executive Officer: Masaharu Sumikawa; hereinafter referred to as “Hitachi Plant Technologies”) and Toray Industries, Inc. (President, CEO and COO: Sadayuki Sakakibara; hereinafter referred to as Toray) today announced the establishment of Global Water Recycling and Reuse Solution Technology Research Association (GWSTA; Director: Shinjiro Ueda, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi Plant Technologies) to accelerate global expansion of the water-related business. The new entity, which was approved by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on February 24, is aimed at the development of advanced water recycling and reuse systems, accumulation of operation and management expertise of the business, and establishment and commercialization of unique water recycling solution.
GWSTA was established based on the Act on Research and Development Partnership under METI.

Fresh water resources around the world are extremely unevenly distributed and their absolute amount is limited. Given the future population growth, economic growth, urbanization and pollution of water environment, the supply and demand balance of water is likely to become even tighter throughout the world and we are forced to face more water problems. Under such circumstances, the water business is estimated to grow into a 100 trillion yen market in 2025. Even as such drastic growth is anticipated in the water business, both the Japanese private sector, boasting unique water treatment technologies, and the municipal governments, with operational and management expertise, have only limited track records in the operation and management of the business overseas, and the reality is that companies in Europe and other countries are ahead of the Japanese counterparts in overseas water business.
The water-related business requires technologies and expertise in wide-ranging fields from seawater desalination, water purification and wastewater treatment, and construction, operation and management of industrial wastewater treatment plants to water resource management, water distribution management and payment collection. At the same time, companies need to establish water cycle system suitable for the concerned region, due to the varied water-related and economic conditions surrounding the regions in need of water resources.

Against this backdrop, Hitachi Plant Technologies and Toray established the technology research association to accelerate international expansion of water resources by combining the two companies’ respective strengths - water treatment engineering capability in the water purification and wastewater treatment as well as in the industrial field for Hitachi Plant Technologies and membrane separation technologies led by those used in seawater desalination for Toray -- and pursuing collaborations with the central and municipal governments in Japan and other countries.
The association plans to carry out and drive forward in Japan and abroad the studies sponsored by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO) water-saving and environment-friendly water recycling project, such as (1) experimental study of integrated membrane system project utilizing seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation technologies (commissioned to Hitachi Plant Technologies and Toray) and (2) experimental study of the project for water reuse business for developing areas in the Middle East etc. (commissioned to Hitachi Plant Technologies). Through these activities, the association aims to develop advanced water distribution systems and accumulate operation and management expertise through collaboration with the central and municipal governments in Japan and abroad. Moreover, the association plans to enhance its undertakings for international expansion with the participation of manufacturers from NEDO-related projects.