Hidralia will contribute to Granada's bid to be the 'European Capital of Culture 2031', positioning the city as a benchmark for innovation and the generation of knowledge and opportunities around urban water cycle management, ensuring Granada's long-standing reputation as a historic city in which water has been a fundamental element in its development and evolution.

Hidralia will contribute to Granada's bid to be the 'European Capital of Culture 2031', positioning the city as a benchmark for innovation and the generation of knowledge and opportunities around urban water cycle management, ensuring Granada's long-standing reputation as a historic city in which water has been a fundamental element in its development and evolution.

To this end, the Mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo, has announced the creation of a new cultural center in the city called Biometropoli. This center, with water as its backbone, will consolidate Granada's leadership as a city of culture through exhibition areas and spaces dedicated to hosting startup projects, university technology centers, and activities and events of public interest.

Biometropoli, planned for the city center in the municipal building at 11 San Matías Street, which will be donated by the City Council and renovated by Hidralia, will allow, drawing on Hidralia's experience, technology, and knowledge, to develop various pilot projects that increase the city's water resilience and allow for the testing of new management tools to improve its water sustainability.

This is a project to advance the pristine role that water has played in shaping Granada's culture, while also delving into the current climate crisis to find "the best and most innovative way to adapt and mitigate its effects to achieve the ecological transformation of the city and have a positive impact on its citizens," Carazo emphasized.

“Ultimately, we want to make Granada a leading city in terms of innovation, in this case by promoting Granadan culture through the lens of water management, highlighting Granada's historical connection with water, fostering a greater appreciation of its cultural heritage, and promoting sustainable awareness among its residents and visitors,” the mayor emphasized.

This space, in addition to various exhibition areas, will be adapted to host entrepreneurial projects and startup incubators, technology and university centers, as well as activities and events of public interest, linked to the development and leadership that the city of Granada must have in culture through all the pillars that make up its present and future city strategy.

Among the priority lines of work contemplated in the agreement are: the optimization of wastewater treatment processes, the reuse of reclaimed water for urban, agricultural, or environmental uses, and intelligent monitoring of the water supply network for early leak detection, improving water efficiency, as well as research and development of sustainable urban drainage systems for stormwater management. A boost to the city's labor economy is also planned.

The mayor emphasized that "this is another step taken in Granada's bid to become the 2031 European Capital of Culture, this time with water as the main driver, as new solutions will be developed to help make the city a sustainable city in the future, maintaining its appearance, legacy, and history directly connected to water," she explained.