Looking back – and I start with a retrospect view – brings a logical answer to whom my thanks should be directed. The story of the company named ASIO has started just twenty-five years ago. ASIO did not privatise anything and so the company underwent through all the development phases. At the very beginning, we started with an initial enthusiasm over own rubber stamp, company headed papers, freshly purchased fax machine and figuring out a new name … by the way, ASIO OTUS means in Latin the long-eared owl and the name should have brought even a mascot – a small owl as a symbol of wisdom. The adage ASIO – ASI JO ( perhaps yes ) or ASI NE ( perhaps no ) is only a by-product that brought the name to the market more quickly.

This vision was always important to us – see the graphic presentation and the words TRUST - PROFESSIONALISM – RESPONSIBILITY underneath the above picture. In particular, the term TRUST was an essential issue for us – ASIO has its own banner and the expression to the reliance is depicted there. It was our determination, in the spirit of this vision, to bring into our internal and external relations such elements so we would deserve such reliance: decency, keeping the promises, professional demeanour, and humaneness. Our effort to become trustworthy resulted in calling attention to unrealistic requirements, for instance in the case of light liquid separators (see the articles in The Water Management Journal, etc.) and consequent unfair practices. At present, this effort continues by the advancement of critical thinking (see the conference in Moravská Třebová) as well as our amendment proposals in the sphere of legislation and technical standards.

Another important element for our surroundings is the innovative ability – ASIO participated in the implementation of the first honeycomb HDVs (underground tanks constructed of honeycomb panels), we were present in the membrane technology (MBR) advent, wastewater recycling , and heat recovery from wastewater (AS-GW/AQUALOOP, AS-ReHeater). In practice, by the supplies of soakaway grids for hard permeable surfaces, honeycomb soakaway grids for HDVs, products for rainwater utilisation (AS-REWA), and wastewater recycling (MBR), our company fulfils the strategy of fighting the climate changes, i.e. the very strategy we were helping to form from the very beginning.

ASIO supports changes in thinking in the spirit of sustainability by many seminars, lectures at universities, and lectures for non-profitable environmentally oriented entities. This innovative movement even grew into R&D activities – ASIO has its own R&D Department participating in many European projects with aim of supplying our company with own technologies and products, and be able to verify feasibility of its solutions in pilot plants. In this way, ASIO gradually improves and enhances its expert knowledge. The departure from the original portfolio was the reason for split-off of the company into two companies – one preferably dealing in the products and being orientated to their sustainability (the suffix NEW stands for recycling of N utrients, recovery of E nergy and W ater recycling), while the other company is aimed to the supplies of complete industrial units/plants with the objective of aspiring to wasteless technologies (MR, filtration, electrochemistry), etc. in the spirit of circular economy.

Therefore, the expression of thanks and appreciation belongs, apart from our families and friends, also as to all who supported us in all matters contained in our vision, to our employees, design engineers, developers and employees of state and local authorities, who believe in our products and technologies, professors and other R&D workers, who are influencing us in the sphere of expertise knowledge, and several personalities influencing us on the management side.

Thanks to all!

In the name of the company’s managing directors
Ing. Karel Plotěný