What is Scera

SCERA is a Spanish strategic project aimed at Ecological Transition and Digital Transition. It is funded by the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, regulated according to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of February 12, 2021, establishing the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.

The full title of this coordinated project is Smart Ceramic nanostructure for the control and prevention of water contamination (accronym SCERA).
SCERA proposes the design and application of a smart functionalized ceramic device; electronically controlled to in-situ retain, detect, monitor and eliminate organic micropollutants (OMP) and microplastics (MP) from water in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way.

The SCERA project encompasses two distinct subprojects:

1. Integration of analytical and chemometric tools for understanding water pollutants and their thermal degradation.

2. Technology development of a smart 3D ceramic nanostructure.

The technology to be developed will be achieved on the basis of the collaboration between researchers of the ‘Chemometrics’ group within the ‘Instituto de Diagnostico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua’ from the ‘Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas’ (IDAEA-CSIC) and researchers from the Micro and Nano Technology (MNT) and Electronic and Biomedical
Instrumentation (IEB) research groups of the Electronic Engineering Department of the ‘Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya’ (UPC).

The project is suited to several key areas:

1. Mitigation of Environmental Pollution: SCERA addresses the goal of reducing environmental pollution to create a cleaner and safer environment.

2. Improvement of Biodiversity: It supports the protection of biodiversity by studying the impact of pollutants on biota, particularly in birds and Important Biodiversity Areas (IBA). This aligns with the objective of recovery of biodiversity and ecosystems and the Biodiversity Strategy
   for 2030.

3. Efficient Monitoring of Ecosystems: The project aims to enhance ecosystem monitoring and restoration through more efficient methods.

4. Contamination Prevention and Control: SCERA seeks to minimize environmental pollution by developing effective treatment methods that can be applied directly at pollution sources (such as industrial effluents, landfills, hospitals) or at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

5. Promotion of Gender Equality: The project is committed to promoting and
   incorporating women researchers and technicians by addressing legal and other barriers to their recruitment, retention, and professional progression, in compliance with EU legislation.