boost the development of new technology.water

The water clusters that attended the EWTW in Leeuwarden in September are set up differently, but the main goal is the same everywhere: supporting many small water-tech companies in their international adventures— just like Water Alliance in the Netherlands. All these clusters gathered in Leeuwarden to boost the development of new sustainable water technology. Demand is high, and companies should better position themselves by using those clusters to be better represented in local markets.

“I don’t really care whether it’s an American or a foreign company, I just want a solution to our problem with algae blooms on Lake Erie”, says Samantha Martin of the Cleveland Water Alliance. America’s Great Lakes are highly eutrophied, causing frequent algal blooms and forcing drinking water companies to shut off their intake. “Our utilities are very conservative when it comes to new technologies”, says Martin. “That’s why we engaged IoT companies that can create links between new sensor technologies and utility IT systems. We are currently looking for innovative techniques to manage algae blooms, both abroad and in the Netherlands”, she says.

Carbon Footprint

The Cleveland Water Alliance is highly clustered around a specific water issue. Other foreign clusters have other focuses. For example, Singapore’s water company, PUB, is particularly interested in startups with new technologies that want to put their innovation through the paces in the Singapore water network. “We have been inviting small foreign water technology companies to participate in our research programme for 20 years”, says Tiing Liang Moh of PUB in Leeuwarden. “That has already led to cheaper membrane technology. Now we are looking for innovations focused on coastal protection and reducing CO2 emissions from our water sector.”

Network

The contributions from the foreign cluster representatives reveal a rapid development in international cooperation. The activities of the Milwaukeebased American cluster The Water Council are particularly noteworthy. The cluster has already helped Dutch companies such as Hydraloop and Wafilin establish a network in the U.S. water market. Their services are not limited to Dutch companies; at the EWTW, we learned that,