Treating and transporting waste can be a dirty business, but not for one innovative company in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia. Hoelschertechnik-gorator, an environmental technology specialist, has found a way to transport wastewater and faeces without harming the environment.

Hoelschertechnik has worked with the Enterprise Europe Network for some time, and operates in five European countries. The Network itself, with close to 600 partner organisations in 50 countries, is ideally suited to help companies delve into new markets.

“Like many companies we work with, this firm is a long-term client,” says Nora Anton, Network project manager based at ZENIT in Germany. “We know them inside out, so that when an opportunity arises, we can alert management right away.”

Hoelschertechnik’s patented innovation, called Gulliver, collects unwanted substances flushed down public toilets at motorway rest stops and other remote places. After that, the waste continues its long voyage through pneumatic pipes to the sewage treatment plant, propelled by compressed air that keeps the pipes from getting clogged. Besides guarding against odours, Gulliver prevents sulphuric acid and other toxic substances from leaking into the environment.

The Network helped find a distribution partner in France for Gulliver and put Hoelschertechnik in touch with Combikem, a Danish firm active in wastewater cleaning for industrial customers.

The contact was made through another Network expert working at the Agro Business Park in northern Denmark, Mette Toft Christensen, who says: “Combikem used to be a tenant in our science park and still uses Enterprise Europe Network to browse other markets for interesting projects.”

In the next year or two, Combikem plans to start selling Hoelschertechnik products in Denmark.

“From the first contact, we were confident that Combikem was the right fit,” says Peter Koch, CEO of Hoelschertechnik.  “The Enterprise Europe Network saves valuable time by passing along only reliable contacts.”