Collaborations Reinforce SIWW As Premier Global Platform to Share and Co-create Solutions

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), held from 1-5 June 2014, saw S$14.5 billion in total value for the announcements on projects awarded, tenders, investments and MOUs concluded at the event. Held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore, the event attracted more than 20,000 participants from 118 countries/regions spanning the government, international organisations, industry, and academia sectors. The Water Expo at this year’s SIWW was the largest edition to date with more than 800 participating companies and 24 Group Pavilions exhibiting over 23,000sqm of covered space. Various announcements on company investments, R&D collaborations and project partnerships were made, underscoring Singapore’s stature as a global hydrohub and SIWW’s role as the global platform for the co-creation of water solutions.

Some notable examples include the opening of Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG) International’s regional hub and the Danish Water Technology House, as well as the location of Xylem’s Greater Asia headquarters in Singapore. The new BEWG International Pte Ltd will manage an estimated S$2 billion worth of water investments outside of China. Singapore-based De.Mem signed letters of intent with Vietnamese companies Hanoi Water Works and Dabaco Group to build two decentralised water treatment plants in projects valued at around S$15 million, while Sembcorp Industries will acquire and upgrade an existing wastewater treatment plant in Lianyungang Lingang Chemical Industrial Park in China’s Jiangsu province.

The Business Forums saw the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) announce the construction of 6 desalination plants with a total capacity of more than 2.5 million m3/day including the world s largest reverse osmosis plant (600,000 m3/day) in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia. Municipalities and Industrial Parks in Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam also shared over S$2 billion dollars’ worth of investment projects for prospective solutions providers.

Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed between PUB and companies including Evoqua, Anaergia and Grundfos to explore R&D projects in water treatment. PUB and Evoqua will further develop electrochemical desalination technology to improve energy and cost efficiencies in seawater desalination, while the collaboration with Anaergia focuses on potential waste-to-energy research projects. PUB will work with Grundfos on water innovation in several areas including efficient pump solutions and R&D in wastewater treatment solutions.

“R&D and innovation are at the forefront of the quest for water sustainability, and SIWW connects leaders and organizations across the water ecosystem to exchange ideas and experiences on real-world solutions, establishing valuable partnerships in these areas. The presence and expansion of major global water companies in Singapore also reaffirm Singapore’s development as a global hydrohub,” said Chew Men Leong, Executive Director, Environment and Water Industry Programme Office and Chief Executive, PUB Singapore.

Prominent global water leaders and decision-makers from the government, international organizations and corporate sector continued to see SIWW as the stage for thought leadership in water issues. Distinguished delegates include Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, China; Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, United Arab Emirates; Kirsten Brosbøl, Minister for the Environment, Denmark; Melanie Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus, Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, The Netherlands; Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Dr Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council; Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water and .Jean-Louis Chaussade, CEO of Suez Environnement Company.

“We are heartened that stakeholders of the global water ecosystem choose to gather here at SIWW 2014 to shape the future of the water industry,” added Maurice Neo, Managing Director, SIWW. “We are confident that SIWW will continue to remain as the platform of choice for the private, public and non-government sectors to meet and collaborate on solutions to address the current and future challenges faced by the water industry.”

The introduction of the youth and talent development component, Hydro-gen, which encompasses the HydroPreneur Programme (HPP) and Young Water Leaders Summit (YWLS), received a resounding endorsement from participants and high-level delegates. HPP saw 6 shortlisted teams pitching their innovative ideas on HydroPitch Day to a panel of distinguished names including Dr Andrew Benedek, the winner of the first Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, and Lord Ronald Oxburgh, Member, House of Lords, United Kingdom. Approximately 40 participants represented the YWLS in the Water Leaders Summit, where they had the opportunity to share their ideas and vision for the water industry with key policy makers and world water leaders.

The third edition of the TechXchange saw water technology innovators from countries such as Australia, the Czech Republic, Israel, Singapore and the United States connecting with over 200 international partners and investors to accelerate the commercialisation of new and innovative water technologies. Participating innovators also displayed prototypes at the first-ever Innovation Pavilion in the sold-out Water Expo 2014.

Participants at this year’s event also welcomed the breadth and scope of discussions on industrial water issues. The Water Convention and Hot Issues Workshop saw discussions focusing on technical solutions, while the Industrial Water Solutions Forum focused on efficient water use in the manufacturing sector to help companies achieve productivity and savings, as well as challenges and business opportunities for the Financial, Chemical and Refinery, Electronics, Pharmaceutical, Mining, Food & Beverage, Oil and Gas and Industrial Parks sectors.

In addition, SIWW 2014 saw the debut of #SIWWPledge, a unique corporate social responsibility campaign and the first of its kind in the global water space. Leveraging the power of social media, it aspires to rally the community towards finding new and sustainable technological and financial solutions to meet today’s safe water and sanitation needs.

Several key co-located events took place at SIWW 2014, including the 22nd United Nations Secretary-Generals’ Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) Board Meeting and the 10th Asia Pacific Infrastructure Ministers Meeting (APIMM), which further enhanced SIWW s position as the global platform for water leaders and key decision-makers to lead the way in co-creating innovative water solutions to address global water challenges.

To be held from 10 – 14 July 2016, the 7th Singapore International Water Week will continue to be co-located with the World Cities Summit and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore. It will be supported by our Strategic Partners, the Asian Development Bank; the International Desalination Association; the International Water Association; the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; the Singapore Water Association and the World Bank. Our partners, Founding Sponsors and other sponsors (which comprise a total of 30 local and international water companies) will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of SIWW. Returning exhibitors have committed more than half of the Water Expo space ahead of SIWW 2016.