Not so long ago, the idea would have sounded like science fiction: purifying water without heavy chemicals and using far less energy. Yet that is exactly what the Dutch company NX Filtration, based in the Dutch region of Twente, is doing. The company emerged from research at the University of Twente and quickly grew into an international player in nanofiltration. Today, NX Filtration is listed on Euronext Amsterdam and has global ambitions — with Italy now firmly in its sights.
The company operates worldwide and, according to Marketing Manager Johan de Vries, is expanding its presence in Italy. “Our strategy is to demonstrate to key industry players the benefits of our membrane systems,” he explained. “These are technologies that have already proven successful in various international markets, and we want to bring that same value to Italy.”
At the Ecomondo trade fair in Rimini (November 2025), we spoke with Application Engineer Giulio Gennari. For him, it was a home game — he lives just twenty kilometres away. Gennari spoke enthusiastically about the portfolio NX Filtration is bringing to the Italian market. “At the heart of NX Filtration’s technology are its hollow-fibre nanofiltration (HFNF) membranes — ultra-thin tubes with pores so fine they block PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, bacteria, and even nanoplastics, while allowing pure water to pass through. In addition, our ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) technologies offer robust and sustainable solutions for process water and reuse, ensuring cleaner and more efficient production across multiple sectors, including the food and beverage industry.”
Projects in practice
NX Filtration’s international pilot projects are drawing considerable attention. A striking example is the pilot launched this year with Eau d’Azur, the drinking and wastewater utility in Nice. “With stricter upcoming EU regulations in mind, we started a twelve-month pilot at the Haliotis wastewater treatment plant, aimed at removing micropollutants from wastewater,” said De Vries. “For this, we are combining NX Filtration’s hollow-fibre nanofiltration membranes with advanced oxidation processes (AOP).”
Italy
These are impressive examples the Dutch company can showcase as it looks to build partnerships in Italy. The Twente-based firm had previously attended Ecomondo as an observer, but in 2025 it participated as an active exhibitor — made possible through the Dutch government’s Partners for International Business (PIB) programme. Gennari said: “Through that programme, companies commit to multi-year investments, and we believe in that approach. During Ecomondo, we hoped to connect with Italian partners who can integrate our filtration systems into the equipment they supply to their end customers. We also aimed to speak with local and regional authorities who want to modernise municipal water treatment and align it with stricter EU regulations.”
This article is part of ‘Tapping into Italy: Dutch watertech making waves’, a series of short stories featuring several Dutch water technology companies in the Watertech2Italy cluster. Through the Partners for International Business (PIB) programme, and supported by Water Alliance and the Netherlands Consulate in Milan, these companies are working to establish a foothold in the Italian market.
