Portable Optical Emission Spectrometer Enabling Real-Time Multi-Element Analysis in Liquids at the Point of Need for Critical Decisions in Industrial Environmentsbroad
AquaSpec · Horizon Europe grant · 2026-06-01–2028-05-31
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-EIC-2025-ACCELERATOR-02 · scheme HORIZON-EIC-ACC · topic HORIZON-EIC-2025-ACCELERATOR-02-OPEN-01. CORDIS record →
Objective
European industry is under growing pressure to meet targets for circularity, pollution reduction, and raw material autonomy. Yet it still lacks the ability to measure what matters, when and where it matters. In critical sectors such as battery recycling, wastewater treatment, hydrogen production, and mining, operators need real-time, multi-elemental insight to recover valuable materials, maximize production, and ensure compliance. Today, their only option for precise, multi-elemental data is centralized laboratory analysis—a process that is slow, remote, and typically takes 1-5 days. Meanwhile, existing field instruments offer speed but fall short of offering a complete solution: they cannot detect key elements like Li, B, and Cl, and lack the precision needed for critical decision-making. In the absence of a robust and precise field instrument, operators across high-value industries are forced to make critical decisions based on incomplete or outdated data, resulting in suboptimal yields, inconsistent product quality, and avoidable material losses. With AquaSpec, we are solving this absence. We are developing the world’s first portable optical emission spectrometer that delivers lab-grade performance and full elemental coverage—for metals and non-metals alike—at the point of need. Built on our patented micro-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (µDOES) technology, AquaSpec represents a step-change in analytics: it will measure even the most hard-to-detect elements—Li, B, P, S, Cl—in seconds, not days. It will unlock in-liquid elemental analysis in remote, mobile, or space-constrained environments where no comparable solution exists. By closing the gap between lab precision and field usability, AquaSpec will empower operators to make data-driven decisions in real time and directly at the point of need—improving critical raw material recovery rates, preventing compliance breaches, and reducing hazardous waste.
Beneficiaries (1)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SENSMET OY | FI | coordinator | €2,499,999 | Yes |
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