Helena Nadais, researcher at CESAM and professor at the Department of Environment and Planning, was invited as a keynote speaker at ACESD 2025 – 10th Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, held in Fukuoka, Japan. This invitation reflects the international recognition of her work in environmental biotechnology and water sustainability.
In her keynote presentation, “Bioreactors for Sustainability: Microbial Communities Turning Microelectronics Effluents into Circular Opportunities”, Helena Nadais presented results from 130 days of operation of anaerobic bioreactors, demonstrating the ability of microbial communities to treat complex effluents from the microelectronics industry, remove organic load, and generate renewable biogas. High-resolution microbiological analysis provided insights into the adaptation and stability of the microbial communities involved.
The work presented is part of the Microelectronics Agenda, through WP14 – Optimization of Industrial Effluents and Organic Solvents, led by the University of Aveiro, and highlights the direct contribution to SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation and to the principles of the circular economy, by transforming industrial effluents into valuable resources. Participation in ACESD reinforces the relevance of CESAM and the University of Aveiro in environmental research applied to industrial sustainability.
The Microelectronics Agenda is one of the 21 Mobilizing/Green Agendas for Business Innovation under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) in which the University of Aveiro participates. More information about these agendas is available at: https://www.ua.pt/pt/agendasprr/.