Global Water Intelligence has announced the theme for the 11th Annual Global Water Summit. “Intelligent Synergies” will be the focal point of the 2017 agenda, exploring how the digital revolution will disrupt the traditional dynamics of the water industry and how this movement can be harnessed for growth within the sector.
The summit will be held April 24 to 25, 2017, in Madrid, Spain. Now in its 11th year, the Global Water Summit attracts more than 500 water leaders and business executives.
“The Global Water Summit has always been about connections: water meets money, public meets private, business meets opportunity. For 2017, we want to take it one step further, to explore how the connections at the edges of the sector can give us fresh perspective on the roadblocks to growth,” said GWI Publisher Christopher Gasson. “Water management no longer lives in isolation; the digital revolution means that utility business models are evolving and data is empowering the customer and the developing world. Meanwhile, the age of the ‘smart’ and ‘liveable’ city has made water an intimate bedfellow with other environmental services such as waste and energy.”
New questions are being asked in the world of water, and the Global Water Summit will ignite some of these important discussions:
- Uber, Airbnb and Amazon have revolutionized transportation, accommodation and commerce, industries all based on fixed assets. Who will bring this to the water sector?
- With new actors showing interest in the water sector, its borders are losing definition. Is sludge management a water business, an energy business or a waste business?
- Politicians across the globe are seeking to restrict the movement of goods and people. How can we ensure that money and innovation continue to flow to where they are needed most?
The summit will explore how intelligent synergies blending finance and technology can deliver solutions for both industries and utilities, from Latin America to China. Martin Ford, futurist and bestselling author, will deliver the keynote address.
In addition, there will be more than five hours of dedicated one-to-one meeting time along with expert-lead round table sessions. The Global Water Awards will recognize and reward those initiatives in the water, wastewater, and desalination sectors that are moving the industry forward through improved operating performance, innovative technology adoption and sustainable financial models. It will be held April 24 at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid. Nominations are now open at www.globalwaterawards.com.
For more information, visit www.watermeetsmoney.com.
Source: Global Water Intelligence
