From its headquarters in Ávila, USAL promotes digital solutions based on artificial intelligence for water sustainability.
The University of Salamanca is already contributing digital solutions for water management through the European project GestEAUr, in which it participates as the lead institution through its Water Engineering and Management research group (IGA) and the Water Research and Technological Development Centre (CIDTA) of the University of Salamanca.
Specifically, Professor José Luis Molina, from the Civil Engineering Department and head of the IGA group (Infrastructure, Management, and Water), serves as the project’s principal investigator. Thus, USAL assumes the role of coordinating entity and is responsible for its technological and innovative development.
Molina explains that the project originated from a demographic and territorial analysis carried out in Castilla y León: “Water management in rural areas is more of an economic issue than a water availability issue, and it requires affordable solutions,” he states. In this regard, he notes that implementing European regulations on water requires adaptation across all territories, regardless of whether they are small towns or large cities. However, the available financial resources vary significantly, making it necessary to offer tailored solutions that address each scenario’s specific challenges at reasonable and sustainable costs. GestEAUr works toward this goal by analyzing different scenarios of the water cycle and proposing adaptable solutions for each situation.
Within the project, USAL leads the development of artificial intelligence-based tools to support decision-making in municipalities with limited technical capacity. This tool, currently under development, will optimize processes and offer specific recommendations based on collected data, helping local governments and companies enhance their water management strategies.
Moreover, the University of Salamanca has produced one of the five territorial diagnostics that underpin the project’s action plans and has provided training courses on water technologies and artificial intelligence, further consolidating its role as an academic leader in this field.
USAL’s commitment to training highly qualified professionals is also reflected in its Master’s Program in Modernization of Water Systems, which has seen growing interest in recent years. The university is committed to education closely linked to applied research and technological innovation in key areas such as sustainability and digital transition.
GESTEAUr is not only a technical initiative but also a clear example of how university-business collaboration can have a real impact on improving the quality of life in rural areas.
