The International Water Summit (IWS) and global technology and innovation consultancy Isle will offer technologists from across the water industry a chance to showcase their ideas to an expert panel of end users, technologists and investors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Innovate@IWS will launch at the IWS, which is hosted by Masdar and takes place during January’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2015 – the region’s largest gathering on sustainability.
Organisers have issued a call for submissions to the competition, which will test the merit of breakthrough water technologies in the MENA market, offering those responsible an opportunity to submit ideas and demonstrate their potential impact to global experts. Participating technologists and entrepreneurs have until November 25, 2014 to submit entries to the selection committee via the IWS website, www.iwsabudhabi.com.
The competition categories include ‘Municipal Water’, ‘Industrial Water’, and ‘Water for Real Estate’. Submissions must demonstrate excellence in terms of their impact, innovation, leadership and long-term vision. Shortlisted submissions will be invited to present to a leading panel of experts, capital investors and potential end users from across the MENA region, live at IWS.
IWS offers a unique window to a rapidly growing clean technology market in the GCC, whose governments plan to allocate US$300 billion to water and desalination projects by 2022. The third edition of IWS is hosted by Masdar, and takes place from January 19-22, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA).
“Innovate@IWS presents technological innovators, large and small, with a tremendous opportunity to access the Middle East and North Africa market – a region facing significant water stress, with plans for large-scale capital investment into solutions,” said Stuart Moss, Acting Managing Director of Isle. “The platform also allows regional municipalities and utilities to understand the impact and potential of technologies that may have been deployed in other arid parts of the world.
“Innovate@IWS is designed to close the gap between technology development and commercialization across the clean technology value chain,” he continued. “And, we are excited about this feature’s ability to accelerate that process and benefit both the industry and the region.”
The MENA region falls into the category of ‘physical water scarcity’ with water supplies depleting at one of the quickest rates in the world. IWS offers a unique opportunity for policy makers, business leaders and technologists to tackle water sustainability for arid regions and drive the region’s market opportunities.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for the global clean technology industry,” said Naji El Haddad, Show Director of the International Water Summit. “The region has demonstrated its commitment to seeking, investing and deploying technology to address its water challenges, and Innovate@IWS platform extends that commitment.
“This is an X-factor style competition, offering the global water technology community a chance to compete for a share of the huge market opportunity in the MENA,” he continued. “I urge them to put their best foot forward to capitalise.”
IWS is held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The 2015 edition of the event is organised by Reed Exhibitions and endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, the Regulation and Supervision Bureau and Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company.