WaterTAP’s Inaugural Ontario Water Innovation Week a Success
Michelle Brownlee of Smart Prosperity Institute speaks during Water Innovation in Action 2.0.
During the week of Oct. 16, WaterTAP hosted the first-ever Ontario Water Innovation Week, which brought international water innovation leaders to Toronto, Ontario. The overall purpose was to share effective strategies and best practices to address barriers and challenges to solve water challenges in Ontario and across the globe.
In addition to activities such as the kick-off Technology Approval Group meeting and the concluding Courageous Conversations Procurement Workshop on Oct. 21, the week was anchored by two major conferences: Water Innovation in Action 2.0 (Oct. 18) and World Water-Tech North America (Oct. 19-20).
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Water Innovation in Action 2.0 focused on bringing together key players from Ontario’s water sector to evaluate the province’s progress, share water success stories, discuss how to achieve a low-carbon economy, and plan for future growth in the sector. Keynote speakers for this event included the Hon. Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of International Trade, and Juan A. Alsace, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General Toronto.
Hosted jointly by WaterTAP and Rethink Events, World Water-Tech North America transitioned to a more international focus to discuss recent developments in smart energy optimization, utility strategies for adjusting to changing trends in water consumption and conservation, the unique perspective of corporate venturing investment, as well as many other pertinent topics.
More than 300 delegates attended Water Innovation in Action 2.0 and/or World Water-Tech North America. More than 30 percent of delegates came from water technology companies and service providers, while more than 20 percent represented utilities and/or municipalities, and 13 percent came from provincial and federal government.
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Keeping in tandem with WaterTAP’s newly launched Better Best Practices Initiative, which, among other things, emphasizes collaborative projects in order to ensure continuously improved water management and leadership, the inaugural Ontario Water Innovation Week succeeded in nurturing the conditions for the international water community to connect and share ideas. Through networking coffee sessions, special one-on-one meetings, roundtable success story discussions, and moderated panel Q&As, the event saw many opportune moments for like minds to come together and discuss the potential for new projects and partnerships going forward.
