SINGAPORE, May 27, 2014 -- Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2014 will be held June 1-5 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, and will bring together more than 20,000 attendees and 850 participating companies who have a collective interest in discovering innovative solutions to the world's water challenges. Held in conjunction with the fourth World Cities Summit and the second CleanEnviro Summit Singapore, the sixth edition of SIWW will focus on industrial water solutions, talent development and the commercialization of innovative water technologies and solutions.
Industrial Water Solutions
With the industrial water sector -- which ranks second in global water consumption, accounting for about 25 percent of global water demand -- SIWW 2014 will continue to focus on the need for thought leadership and the sharing of best practices in industrial water solutions through platforms such as the Industrial Water Solutions Forum.
Besides looking at issues such as efficient water use in the manufacturing sector to help companies achieve productivity and savings, the forum will also pair industrial water users with water technology companies, startups and academics.
SIWW 2014 will feature expanded discussions on industrial water solutions that cut across different levels -- thought leadership, technical and business solutions. There will also be more focused and dedicated discussion tracks, spanning financial, chemical and refinery, electronics, pharmaceutical, mining, food & beverage, oil and gas, and industrial parks sectors. These discussions will take place at various SIWW events including the Water Convention, Hot Issues Workshop, TechXchange, and the booths of exhibiting companies at the Water Expo.
Some of the key speakers at SIWW include Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Benedito Braga, president of the World Water Council; Chen Lei, minister for water resources, China; HE Rashid Ahmed Mohammed Bin Fahad, minister of environment and water, United Arab Emirates; Jean-Louis Chaussade, CEO, Suez Environnement; Kirsten Brosbøl, minister for the environment, Denmark; and Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Dutch minister of infrastructure and the environment.
Talent Development and Entrepreneurship
Developed with the objective of nurturing and uncovering the next generation of water leaders and entrepreneurs, Hydro-gen (short for Hydro Generation) is the youth and talent development program at SIWW 2014. A key thrust under Hydro-gen is the HydroPrenenur Programme (HPP), SIWW's first accelerator program for water technologies. Conducted in collaboration with the National University of Singapore's Lean LaunchPad and the Founder Institute, it is designed to incite an entrepreneurial and innovation culture, as well as help aspiring water entrepreneurs develop water startups and commercialize their technologies.
Under HPP, participants will undergo a nine-week industry-oriented entrepreneurship and development program with experienced mentors including Nigel Wylie, managing director of Environmental Dynamics International (EDI Asia); Simon Dale, head of technology & innovation at SAP Asia Pacific & Japan; Vinnie Lauria, founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures; Bryan Long, founder of The Testing Ground; Mike Holt, managing partner of Get2Volume, a Singapore and Silicon Valley technology company incubation and advisory firm; and Kris Childress, CEO of Nanothree.
More than 50 participants have been successfully enlisted in HPP, which will culminate in the Hydro Pitch Day, when shortlisted teams will pitch their ideas before an audience of global water companies, venture capitalists and potential clients, to obtain the support required to kick start their ventures.
Another key component of Hydro-gen is the Young Water Leaders Summit (YWLS), which brings together young water leaders from around the world to engage in discussions on global water issues, empowering them to be effective catalysts for change in their regions and the world. Selected participants will represent the voice of the youth in the Water Leaders Summit, providing an opportunity for young water leaders to interact and share their ideas with established global water leaders from the public and private sectors.
Commercialization of Water Technologies
In support of Singapore's position as a global hydro hub and marketplace for sustainable solutions, SIWW will also continue to feature the TechXchange as well as the inaugural Water Innovations Pavilion at the Water Expo to shine the spotlight on innovative technologies. The objective of these programs is to connect water technology startups with potential investors and funding schemes, buyers with sellers, to promote the commercialization of game-changing technologies.
Participating companies at this year's TechXchange include Aquanos (Israel), Aquaporin (Singapore), Baleen Filters (Australia), Ceraflo (Singapore), Cerahelix (USA), Hydrovision (Singapore), Lentikat's (Czech Republic), MEDAD (Singapore), Puralytics (USA), UniQuest/Lodomat (Australia), and Water Optics Technology (Singapore).
In addition to pitching to international investors and buyers on Hydro Pitch Day, participating companies will also showcase their disruptive technologies and prototypes at the Innovations Pavilion at the Water Expo. The sold-out Water Expo 2014 is 35 percent bigger than the previous edition in 2012, with more than 850 participating companies and 24 Group Pavilions exhibiting over 23,000 square meters of covered space. Other new pavilions at the Water Expo include the U.S. Department of Commerce, Denmark and France.
See also:
"Singapore International Water Week 2014 to be held in June"
"CA water district awarded Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for water reuse efforts"
About Singapore International Water Week
The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform to share and co-create innovative water solutions. Comprising the Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo, Business Forums, Industrial Water Solutions Forum, and TechXchange, it culminates in the presentation of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, a prestigious international water award to recognize outstanding contributions towards solving global water problems. SIWW 2014 will feature discussions on four themes, namely municipal and industrial water, integrated city-environment-water and future of water. For more information, visit www.siww.com.sg/.
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