History

2009

Eric Scharstuhl M.Sc. assumes control of Prime Water after Joop Scharstuhl’s retirement.

2008

Joop Scharstuhl and Prime Water earn the Flemish Technological innovation Award in the category Environmental Technology. The price was awarded for an extremely simple, but very effective membrane based device, that can produce safe drinking water from dirty and contaminated surface water.

Hundreds of thousands of these units, called the Life Straw Family have by now (2011) been placed in emergency- and areas with structural water problems.

2006

After 8 years at the campus of VITO, Prime Water moves to Lommel - Belgium.

The cooperation has resulted in a unique membrane technology for the micro-biological purification of drinking water at the point of use. On the basis of these membranes a number of applications and products were developed and patented.

1998

Joop Scharstuhl creates Prime Membrane Technologies NV (PMT) in Mol, Belgium, renamed Prime Water International in 2004. Son Eric (M.Sc. Engineering TU-Delft) joins and becomes co-managing director.

PMT enters into a cooperation and development agreement with VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) in Mol and as a result obtains access to the scientific infrastructure of this institute and is housed on the VITO campus.

1996

Focuses is directed towards further development of membranes. This time; the  micro-biological purification of drinking water at the point of use.

1989

Joop Scharstuhl wins the Product Innovation Award in the Netherlands. This is recognition for the development of a new separation technology. By means of membrane filtration, a drop of blood obtained from a finger prick, is separated in plasma and red cells. This development enabled instant diagnostics of e.g. cardiac problems.