The Water Innovation Accelerator, the latest event to be held as part of the Innovators Platform initiative, is to take place on Wednesday 14 September 2022, during the International Water Association’s World Water Congress & Exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark. The workshop day will feature co-learning and co-creation activities for the approximately 80 invited participants, who will be drawn from a mix of backgrounds to help catalyse partnerships that can take forward practical opportunities to innovate.

Inspiring innovators and innovation

The Innovators Platform is a collaborative effort to inspire innovation around water. It is being guided by a steering committee of individuals with a shared passion for innovation and is supported by the International Water Association. The Copenhagen event is being co-developed and facilitated by Water Valley Denmark and is receiving input from Singapore’s PUB.

The Innovators Platform frames innovation in a wide context, looking beyond technologies. It anticipates the broad benefits to society can be realised with innovation ‘through’ water.

The introductory event was held at Singapore International Water Week and led by PUB, focused on the theme of circularity for societal benefits from water. The Danish water sector is aiming to become climate neutral by 2030 and this aim is being blended with the overall circularity of water theme. These ambitions, which are driving change in the Danish sector and reflect growing priorities around the world, underpin the outlook of the Copenhagen event.

In Copenhagen, international participants will explore opportunities arising from water’s potential to be a vehicle for transformation through the adoption of a circular economy water journey for climate change mitigation and adaptation, captured by the question:

What are the opportunities to benefit societies by harnessing water’s potential to bring about circular economy transformations delivering climate change adaptation or mitigation?

Co-learning and co-creation

In the co-learning activities during the Copenhagen event, the participants will hear project-based insights, inspirational talks, and a synthesis from the first Innovators Platform event, held during Singapore International Water Week in April, and they will take part in a co-learning forum.

The programme for the participants will then include co-creation activities featuring group-based facilitated innovation dialogues that it is hoped will stimulate new and significant partnerships to carry forward innovative actions beyond the Copenhagen event.

Join the initiative

Are you interested in attending? Express your interest by completing the form here:

https://worldwatercongress.org/forums/#Innovators-Platform

Participants are required to be registered as delegates at the Congress.

Fuller details of the Water Innovator Accelerator programme for the day will be made available closer to the event.

About the Innovators Platform

The Innovators Platform is a collaborative effort to inspire innovation around water. It is based on a ‘challenge boat’ approach, where host ‘harbours’ build on the momentum of previous events and offer a space where participants can work together and build around a central theme. The format of the platform is being guided by a steering committee of individuals with a shared passion that innovation around water can catalyse broad benefits for society. The Innovators Platform is being facilitated by the International Water Association.

Singapore International Water Week 2022 was the first location to host an Innovators Platform event (18 April 2022). The next event (Wednesday 14 September 2022) will be during the International Water Association’s World Water Congress & Exhibition taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, 11-15 September 2022.

The Innovators Platform steering committee members are:

• Sudhir Murthy (co-chair)
• Claus Homann (co-chair)
• Bernard Koh
• Sergio Campos
• Bernadette Conant
• Valerie Naidoo
• Eileen O’Neill