AstraZeneca named winner of Leading Cities’ wastewater pilot
Through this pilot project, the pharmaceutical company’s largest manufacturing site will partner with Pharem Biotech’s Zymatic solution to more effectively treat wastewater by removing organic pollutants.
Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in Södertälje, Sweden, has been named the winner of a pilot wastewater treatment project through Leading Cities’ 2022 AcceliGOV Challenge.
AstraZeneca was chosen as the winner in recognition of its vision for a more sustainable and resilient society and the positive impact deploying this technology can have on surrounding communities.
It will pilot Pharem Biotech’s Zymatic solution to more effectively treat wastewater by removing organic micro pollutants and ultimately protect the local environment.
Wastewater treatment facility
Pharem Biotech was the winner of Leading Cities 2021 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, selected from some 500 companies worldwide. Through the 2022 AcceliGOV programme, municipalities and companies compete to win pre-paid pilots of such globally sourced and vetted solutions. The pilot is funded through QBE as the grand prize of the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge.
AstraZeneca was selected from among four finalists, including: Fort McMurray, Canada; Wien, Austria; and Traverse City, US. Through this pilot project, the company’s largest manufacturing site will partner with Pharem Biotech’s Zymatic solution to more effectively treat wastewater by removing organic pollutants and ultimately protect the local environment.
“Our communities are complex ecosystems that require engagement and collaboration among all stakeholders to protect our planet and achieve the United Nation’s sustainable development goals”
In a departure from its traditional focus on municipalities, Leading Cities opened the 2022 AcceliGOV programme to industry applicants in addition to municipalities.
“With a powerful solution like Pharem’s Zymatic, we are able to advance smart city solutions not only through local government but with industry partners like AstraZeneca as well,” said Michael Lake, CEO of Leading Cities.
“Our communities are complex ecosystems that require engagement and collaboration among all stakeholders to protect our planet and achieve the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.”
According to Leading Cities, with innovations in wastewater treatment like Pharem’s Zymatic solution, the world has an opportunity to address the “invisible threat” to our water, environment, and humanity at large.
Fortunately, studies have demonstrated that innovative solutions can reduce the concentration of harmful pharmaceutical compounds by up to 95 per cent, it reports.
“We are committed to constantly explore and improve our sustainable ways of working, including waste management of active pharmaceutical ingredients. This opportunity provided by Leading Cities to engage in a strong collaboration with Pharem will be another important step on our sustainable journey at AstraZeneca,” said Nina Andrén, head of AstraZeneca’s campus in Södertälje.
“As a global company, we have an obligation to contribute to a sustainable environment, not only on a global level but also in the communities in which we operate,” added Andrén.
“As a global company, we have an obligation to contribute to a sustainable environment, not only on a global level but also in the communities in which we operate”
“This technical solution gives us an opportunity to move our organisation towards greater sustainability at the local level, and share what we learn within AstraZeneca to improve the sustainability of other communities around the world.”
Pharem Biotech Pharem is a cleantech company with a biotech division. Using a combination of various technology areas, it has developed Zymatic, an enzyme-based treatment technology which offers treatment of organic micropollutants.
The company reports it can be tailored to fit broader treatment requirements for municipal wastewater treatment plants and more specific treatment for industry processes.
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