Firms use retro tech to save lives

Two Fife firms are using Sovietera space technology to help save lives in Pakistan by providing clean water.

Glenrothes-based ADVES Water Ltd and Dunfermline company Bridge Technologies are working with the James Hutton Institute and National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad to deliver a high-quality purification facility for providing drinking water.

They are reviving retro technology used for cleaning solar panels on early space missions to help 100,000 people in the country.

Dr Richard Allan from the James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with industry and our colleagues at the National University of Sciences and Technology to develop innovation that will have a real impact.”

Scotland’s International Development Minister Alasdair Allan hailed the Fife firms, saying: “This cutting-edge technology is now being applied by Scottish companies to improve drinking water and sanitation and is helping to build sustainable communities in Pakistan.

“We have awarded £50,000 in the last two years to enable the installation of the ECAS water treatment generator, which has the potential to benefit tens of thousands of people, building on the strong links between our two countries.”