Launch of REFONDRRE: for more sustainable water networks

On March 6, 2025, ENGEES, Strasbourg's national school of water and environmental engineering, and Saint-Gobain PAM Canalisation officially launched REFONDRRE, an innovative chair dedicated to research into the sustainability of drinking water networks.

This partnership, supported by the Grand Est Region, aims to improve infrastructure performance, reduce leakage and promote the circular economy.

Main lines of research:

• Analysis of pipe behavior in operation using AI.
• Recycled backfill and potential impacts
• Circular economy and heritage value of pipes

As Jérôme Lionet, Managing Director of Saint-Gobain PAM, pointed out:

“Innovation cannot be decreed, it has to be built. And for that, we need a strong ecosystem, a permanent dialogue between academia and industry.”

A strategic project for more sustainable water management, in collaboration with local authorities.