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Aquatech launches Aquatech Innovation Forum to enhance interaction on digital innovations
- Global utilities to come together in innovative new platform
- New Forum to complement Aquatech trade show and Innovation Awards
- First Aquatech Innovation Forum to launch during Amsterdam International Water Week 2019
A brand new knowledge-event focusing on the digitalisation of the global water market is set to join the Amsterdam International Water Week next November. The Aquatech Innovation Forum is specifically aimed at water tech professionals and will discuss how technological innovation is becoming a necessity to overcome today’s and future challenges.
Mastering Water’s Digital Transformation
With the tagline: Mastering Water’s Digital Transformation, the Forum will bring together water utilities and the supply chain to discuss experiences when adopting innovative solutions.
Fluid free-flowing agenda
The concept of the Forum is demand driven, interactive and aimed at delivering provoking content. Including a mixture of keynote addresses, workshops and speaker interactions, a free-flowing agenda will be shaped by the audience though out the day.
Linking innovation throughout the week
A one-day event, the Aquatech Innovation Forum will take place ahead of the Aquatech Amsterdam exhibition linking the innovations on the show floor and the contenders in the Aquatech Innovation Award to an audience eagerly looking for technical innovations.
Especially for water TECH professionals
The event is intended for water tech professionals: from chief technology officers in water utilities, to engineering consultancies, senior executives from technology providers and investors looking to back the next big success story.
Established Content Board
A content board has been created for the new event, including a mix of utilities, consultants, researchers and solution providers. The content board met at the end of November in Amsterdam to discuss the latest trends and topics to begin shaping the conference agenda.
The content board:
- Jan Gooijer, innovation manager, Vitens
- Mark Kaney, director of asset management, Black & Veatch
- Eva Martinez Diaz, head of smart services, Aqualia
- Paul O’Callaghan, CEO, Bluetech Research
- Prof Dragan Savic, chief information officer, KWR Watercycle Research Institute
- Matt Rolls, regional director, Municipal EMEA, Evoqua Water Technologies
- Miguel Angel Sanz, director of strategic development for treatment infrastructure division of SUEZ/President, International Desalination Association.
- Dr Benjamin Tam, managing director UK, Isle Utilities
- Dr Richard J Vestner, chief digital officer, DHI
- Yossi Yaacoby, Chief of Staff to the CEO, Mekorot
- Paolo Zacchi, advanced technology & innovation, Xylem
- Frank Zamora, director of technology & IT, Acciona Agua
- Annette Bos, director water, RAI Amsterdam
- Tom Freyberg, content director, Aquatech Global Events
Focus on the digital horizon
Discussions will focus on innovation and practical solutions to challenges that exist but are also on the horizon, including topics such cyber security and digital resilience; smart cities and the role of Water 4.0 and also turning Big Data into actionable data.
A trifecta of innovation events
According to Bluefield Research, smarter, more advanced asset management strategies are expected to save water utilities US$41.9 billion in capital expenditures by 2027. Coupled with this is an expected shift towards more advanced solutions, data collection, analytics and visualisation of network conditions and operations.
This development will be the third piece of the Aquatech puzzle and completes the trifecta of events taking place in the same week: the Aquatech Innovation Forum, Aquatech Innovation Award and large scale, water focused exhibition with over 26,000 expected attendance.
Fostering solutions, knowledge, partnerships and cooperation will be encouraged during the Forum, which aligns with the UN’s ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event will showcase how technological improvements are helping to meet goal number six: deliver clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Taking innovation another step forward
Annette Bos, Director Water at RAI Amsterdam and heading Aquatech Global Events, said: “We are proud to add the Innovation Forum to our growing portfolio of events around the world, including Amsterdam, Mexico and China. When organising events across three continents, we can see the importance of bringing together great minds to solve global water challenges. We are launching the Innovation Forum to help bridge the gap between events already taking place during the same week. The ambition is to translate the technology innovation of the show floor into a high level knowledge exchange conference.”
Tom Freyberg, content director of Aquatech Global Events, added: “There is a lot of discussion and sometimes hype around digitalisation. We want to bring together real-life cases where new digital solutions are making a difference and create a platform where professionals can openly share experiences, network and overall consume engaging and entertaining content.”
“By bringing such a group of talented individuals together for the Content Board, we are creating an incredible Innovation Forum network and essentially, an event for the industry by the industry.”
The Aquatech Innovation Forum will take place on Monday November 4th 2019.
www.aquatechtrade.com/innovation-forum
