Organisation

Organisation

Safege's R&D effort is organised around : our Technical Development Department and various cross-functional groups tasked with managing and disseminating knowledge; our new International Research Center for Applied Hydroinformatics (CIRAH); our many partnerships with research institutions.

THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Since 2006, the Technical Development Department has worked to optimise our costs and build value and security into our services. Two units - the Information Services Department and Technical Coordination and Quality Control Department, now combined as the Methods and Practices Department - have the task of improving our methods and tools, and handle aspects like documentation, the intranet and the company's Quality Management System.

The Technical Development Department also coordinates a number of cross-functional groups set up to contribute to the continuous improvement of our services and development of our skills through the management and dissemination of knowledge :

the Circle of Experts is a forum for discussion among Safege experts (who numbered about 40 at the end of 2008), whose task is to provide guidance and support for our engineers, make their expertise available to the company and identify potential areas of research ;

an internal funding mechanism to finance expert services so that each entity receives their allotted share of expert input ;

a sector coordination mechanism whereby managers of specialist units, regional divisions and experts meet regularly to determine priority areas for action ;

the Club Métiers, organised by sector (Water Supply, Sanitation, etc.) or function (Drafters/Designers, Secretaries, etc.) : communities of practice to enable the cross-fertilization of experiences and best practices.

All these initiatives are part of a strategy geared towards lifting barriers and strengthening the sense of community within the company.

THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR APPLIED HYDROINFORMATICS : modelling expertise for the needs of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT and our clients

Since January 2008, Safege's Engineering Studies and Sustainable Development Department hosts CIRAH, the International Research Center for Applied Hydroinformatics for SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT.

Created to promote and enhance SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT's modelling expertise - a strategic area for Safege - CIRAH's resources will be employed in the fields of water supply and sanitation, hydrology, hydrogeology, river engineering and oceanography.

CIRAH's mission is four-fold :

project management support for SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT business units,

advice and assistance to SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT for the preparation of technical specifications and operation of numerical models,

training of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT employees and clients, with sessions delivered in a high-tech computer room fitted out as a demonstration area for internal and external clients,

R&D work on strategic tools and methods, including :

analysis of the effects of climate change on flood management strategies for the medium and long terms,

a review of existing models for the protection of the environment through coordinated management of urban sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants,

development of a tool to assist in evaluating strategies to prevent diffuse-source pollution in well capture zones.