From waste to resource: Training young researchers on developing innovative, circular solutions for wastewater treatment sludge - INCLUE
INCLUE - HORIZON-MSCA-DN

Developing innovative, circular solutions for wastewater treatment sludge

Learn more about INCLUE project

INCLUE Project Objectives

INCLUE will set up the first European doctoral training network on developing innovative, circular solutions for the treatment of sludge containing pollutants.

INCLUE will train 11 creative and entrepreneurially-minded DCs via an international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary research training program in the field of sludge pre-treatment combined with state-of-the-art bioconversion techniques and multi-level toxicity assessment, for the effective removal and/or recovery of both hazardous and valuable compounds from municipal and industrial sludges.

The success of the program is guaranteed via a unique combination of state-of-the-art PhD research, intersectoral secondments, international mobility and interdisciplinary platform-wide courses.

Research Objectives

Develop and optimise sustainable techniques to enhance the properties and composition of sludge through removal of (in)organic pollutants to eliminate any adverse effects for sludge application (i) in a subsequent bioconversion process or (ii) directly as a fertiliser on land.

Develop augmented fermentative bioconversion processes to produce renewable chemicals and fuels, and to recover nutrients from municipal and industrial sludges, potentially combined with pre-treatment technologies.

Create tools to assess the overall environmental performance of treated sludges towards toxicity, pollutant soil dynamics and agricultural
fertilising value in a combined decision support tool (WP3) for 5 different types of pollutants: pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, heavy metals, PFAS and antibiotics. Develop a socio-economic evaluation tool, to support decision-making and societal acceptance.

INCLUE: an interdisciplinary project and a truly intersectoral and international consortium

Learn more about INCLUE consortium

INCLUE RESEARCH FOCUS

WP1

Upgrading sludge properties via innovative treatment processes

More about WP1

WP2

Renewable chemicals and fuels production via augmented sludge bioconversion

More about WP2

WP3

Eco-Impact Assessment

More about WP3

News & Blog

Between Posters and Cliffs: Notes from a PhD’s First Conference

June 6, 2025

As I write my first blog post, I’m sitting at the airport, waiting to board my flight back to Belgium after an intense and inspiring week. At the end of May, I had the opportunity to attend The 5th International Conference on Biogas Microbiology (ICBM5) in Galway, Ireland – my very first scientific conference as a PhD researcher. I proudly represented the INCLUE project by exhibiting my first doctoral research poster, titled “Stimulation of Diuron anaerobic biodegradation: insights from semi-continuous adaptation”. It showcased some early findings from the first, major

Read More

Expanding Our Research Perspectives: My first secondment at Nijhuis Industries in The Netherlands

May 29, 2025

It’s incredible how quickly time flies when you’re learning so much in such a stimulating and welcoming environment. During my time at Nijhuis, I had the opportunity to meet researchers, process and commissioning engineers, expand my professional network, and engage with industrial partners. These interactions allowed me to explore the topic from new perspectives, consider critical aspects I hadn’t previously examined, and gain a broader understanding of the future of sludge processing in the European Union. Together with Tiago, I deepened into the process details of wastewater treatment and its

Read More

Sharing Research, Building Connections: Tiago Martins (DC3) Presents at IWA Resource Recovery 2025

May 22, 2025

We are pleased to share that Tiago Martins, Doctoral Candidate (DC3), recently participated in the IWA Resource Recovery 2025 Conference, held in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, a leading global event focused on advancing sustainable practices in water and resource recovery. At this prestigious conference, Tiago presented the first communication of his PhD research through a scientific poster titled: “Metal Removal from Wastewater Sludge through Electrochemical Processes” Tiago’s work addresses one of the major environmental and technical challenges in wastewater treatment: how to deal with the vast volumes of sludge produced globally

Read More

From Waste to Resource: Tiago Martins (DC3) Competes in the Jong KNCV Spotlight Prize

May 22, 2025

We’re excited to share that Tiago Martins, our Doctoral Candidate (DC3), is participating in the prestigious Jong KNCV Spotlight Prize, a national science communication competition hosted by the Young Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (Jong KNCV). This annual event challenges emerging scientists to distil their cutting-edge research into a compelling one-minute pitch for both expert and general audiences. Tiago’s research tackles a major yet often ignored issue in wastewater treatment: sludge. Typically seen as waste, sludge is generated in enormous quantities across Europe every year. But instead of viewing it as

Read More

From Poster to platform: My first research presentation at the Carbon Recycling Network Conference 2025

May 15, 2025

I had the privilege to present my first research poster at the Carbon Recycling Network 5th Annual Conference, from March 9–12, 2025, at the historic Shrigley Hall in Cheshire, UK. This milestone was not only a personal achievement but also an opportunity to represent the INCLUE EU project; a Horizon-MSCA-DN initiative focused on developing innovative, circular solutions for wastewater treatment sludge. I would see myself as a newcomer to the academic conference scene, in which I was both very excited and apprehensive. It was surprising and amazing to see how

Read More

Inspiring the Next Generation: Tiago Martins (DC3) at the Nijhuis Saur Industries Family Day

April 22, 2025

On a sunny day filled with curiosity and enthusiasm, Tiago Martins, a Doctoral Candidate (DC3) at the INCLUE Project and hosted at Nijhuis Saur Industries, joined colleagues and their families for the company’s annual Family Day. This event opens the workplace to employees’ loved ones and brings science and industry closer to home. Held at the heart of Nijhuis Saur Industries, the event gave visitors (from toddlers to grandparents) a unique behind-the-scenes look at what the company does to make water cleaner and the planet more sustainable. Children played games

Read More

Between Posters and Cliffs: Notes from a PhD’s First Conference

June 6, 2025

As I write my first blog post, I’m sitting at the airport, waiting to board my flight back to Belgium after an intense and inspiring week. At the end of May, I had the opportunity to attend The 5th International Conference on Biogas Microbiology (ICBM5) in Galway, Ireland – my very first scientific conference as a PhD researcher. I proudly represented the INCLUE project by exhibiting my first doctoral research poster, titled “Stimulation of Diuron anaerobic biodegradation: insights from semi-continuous adaptation”. It showcased some early findings from the first, major

Read More

Expanding Our Research Perspectives: My first secondment at Nijhuis Industries in The Netherlands

May 29, 2025

It’s incredible how quickly time flies when you’re learning so much in such a stimulating and welcoming environment. During my time at Nijhuis, I had the opportunity to meet researchers, process and commissioning engineers, expand my professional network, and engage with industrial partners. These interactions allowed me to explore the topic from new perspectives, consider critical aspects I hadn’t previously examined, and gain a broader understanding of the future of sludge processing in the European Union. Together with Tiago, I deepened into the process details of wastewater treatment and its

Read More

Sharing Research, Building Connections: Tiago Martins (DC3) Presents at IWA Resource Recovery 2025

May 22, 2025

We are pleased to share that Tiago Martins, Doctoral Candidate (DC3), recently participated in the IWA Resource Recovery 2025 Conference, held in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, a leading global event focused on advancing sustainable practices in water and resource recovery. At this prestigious conference, Tiago presented the first communication of his PhD research through a scientific poster titled: “Metal Removal from Wastewater Sludge through Electrochemical Processes” Tiago’s work addresses one of the major environmental and technical challenges in wastewater treatment: how to deal with the vast volumes of sludge produced globally

Read More

From Waste to Resource: Tiago Martins (DC3) Competes in the Jong KNCV Spotlight Prize

May 22, 2025

We’re excited to share that Tiago Martins, our Doctoral Candidate (DC3), is participating in the prestigious Jong KNCV Spotlight Prize, a national science communication competition hosted by the Young Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (Jong KNCV). This annual event challenges emerging scientists to distil their cutting-edge research into a compelling one-minute pitch for both expert and general audiences. Tiago’s research tackles a major yet often ignored issue in wastewater treatment: sludge. Typically seen as waste, sludge is generated in enormous quantities across Europe every year. But instead of viewing it as

Read More

From Poster to platform: My first research presentation at the Carbon Recycling Network Conference 2025

May 15, 2025

I had the privilege to present my first research poster at the Carbon Recycling Network 5th Annual Conference, from March 9–12, 2025, at the historic Shrigley Hall in Cheshire, UK. This milestone was not only a personal achievement but also an opportunity to represent the INCLUE EU project; a Horizon-MSCA-DN initiative focused on developing innovative, circular solutions for wastewater treatment sludge. I would see myself as a newcomer to the academic conference scene, in which I was both very excited and apprehensive. It was surprising and amazing to see how

Read More

Inspiring the Next Generation: Tiago Martins (DC3) at the Nijhuis Saur Industries Family Day

April 22, 2025

On a sunny day filled with curiosity and enthusiasm, Tiago Martins, a Doctoral Candidate (DC3) at the INCLUE Project and hosted at Nijhuis Saur Industries, joined colleagues and their families for the company’s annual Family Day. This event opens the workplace to employees’ loved ones and brings science and industry closer to home. Held at the heart of Nijhuis Saur Industries, the event gave visitors (from toddlers to grandparents) a unique behind-the-scenes look at what the company does to make water cleaner and the planet more sustainable. Children played games

Read More

Doctoral Candidates Positions

INCLUE in numbers

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