Singapore leads the way in charting future research directions for water solutions

It's on its way to achieving water sustainability.

According to a release, more than 300 senior water technology experts from 35 countries identified the technology focus areas (TFAs) for the global water industry at the first ever Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) Technology and Innovation Summit (STIS), held from 16-17 June 2015.

These included low-energy seawater desalination, network asset management and energy efficiency in wastewater treatment, amongst others. 

These areas were identified by experts from water and wastewater utilities, industrial water users, solution providers, research institutes, international organisations, investors and technology multipliers over two days.

“Singapore is once again honoured to convene the world’s leading experts in water technology and innovation to focus on critical issues in greater depth,” said Summit Chairperson Mr Ng Joo Hee, who is also the Chief Executive of PUB, Singapore’s national water agency. “The law of economics dictates that we need to allocate scarce resources to where they are demanded most, and to use them in the most efficient manner possible. These research areas are thus important towards accelerating the development of new solutions. With increasingly complex challenges faced by the water sector cutting across multiple domains, we have also witnessed the need for integrated solutions that effectively combines two or more TFAs together.”

“As many of the identified TFAs are aligned with PUB’s technology roadmap, I am looking forward to collaborations between PUB and like-minded institutions to develop solutions to achieve water sustainability for Singapore,” added Mr Ng. 

Organisations that are keen to develop their own technology roadmap also found the discussions useful. “Attending the SIWW Technology and Innovation Summit provided us with a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in water technology and innovation. It has enriched our learning and knowledge in water, particularly on the importance of going back to basics and identifying the key gaps in our water sector. We are keen to work on a long-term technology roadmap to address these challenges,” said Mr Virgilio C. Rivera Jr., Chief Operating Officer, New Business, Manila Water Company, Philippines. 

The outcomes from the two-day summit will be supplemented with case studies and compiled into a global blueprint for water solutions, and will help shape the content and discussions for SIWW 2016.