Havana, June 3, 2025 – The VALZEO project (Grant Agreement No. 101086354), funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchanges (MSCA-SE), successfully concluded its International Workshop – Cuba 2025 with two days of high-level scientific exchange, knowledge transfer, and strategic collaboration.
The workshop, held at Hotel Habana Libre and the Indio Hatuey Experimental Station (EEPFIH), brought together researchers, innovators, and institutions from Europe and Latin America to share advances in circular economy innovation. The event focused on VALZEO’s mission to valorise agro-industrial waste, particularly rice husk ash (RHA), into zeolite-based composite materials for use in water purification and biodiesel production.
Organised in cooperation with the University of Havana (UH) and Fundación Universidad de La Habana (FUH), the workshop featured scientific panels, pilot demonstrations, and cross-sector dialogues. Key topics included:
🔹 Silicon extraction and raw material optimization
🔹 Zeolite and MOF synthesis for environmental remediation
🔹 Circular water treatment strategies
🔹 Business models for research exploitation and future scalability
🎤 Highlighted Speakers Included:
- Dr. Manuel Valiente and Dr. Roberto Boada (UAB – Project Coordinator)
- Dr. Francesco Fatone (UNIVPM)
- Dr. Rabdel Ruiz-Salvador and Dr. Menta Ballesteros (UPO)
- Dr. Gustavo Pérez González (UAB)
- Dr. Luis Cepero Casas and Dr. Luis Alberto Hernandez (EEPFIH)
- Dr. Tania Farías Piñera, Dr. Ana Adelfa, and partners from AERIS, ZPRIME, and SITES
🤝 MSCA Impact in Action
The workshop also highlighted the success of MSCA staff exchanges, enabling researchers from Cuba, Spain, Italy, and other partner countries to work side-by-side. These mobility actions continue to strengthen Europe’s role in global knowledge sharing, capacity building, and co-creation of sustainable technologies.
🌱 Closing Statement
As emphasized in the closing remarks, the VALZEO project remains committed to scaling its research outcomes, engaging local communities, and ensuring that sustainability and innovation go hand in hand.
“The most sustainable action is education,” said Dr. Manuel Valiente (UAB), reinforcing the workshop’s alignment with the MSCA’s core mission of skills development and career-enhancing mobility.
📩 For More Information:
Maghraby Elseify
VALZEO Communication Team
📧 communication@valzeo.eu
🔗 www.valzeo.eu
