Program: UPPstage – The Journey of Water Innovation.
Organized by UPPWATER at the EUROPEAN WATERTECH WEEK.
Hosted by journalist Martine Hauwert, the session explores six essential roles in the innovation process. Through personal conversations, we go beyond the technology itself and discover the ambitions, choices, setbacks and defining moments that drive innovation.
WED 28-10 10:00-12:00
THE SCIENTIST
- Ruixuan Qi
- 10:05
Where do breakthrough ideas come from?
Ruixuan Qi is a PhD researcher at Wetsus. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, in 2017 and 2020, respectively. While completing his PhD, he is also building a start-up focused on innovative inline sensor technology for membrane monitoring.
“For many countries expected to face extreme water stress, it is cheaper to reduce leaks than to produce more water.”
THE INNOVATOR
- Paul Roeleveld
- 10:20
Paul Roeleveld, Director Business Development & Innovations Haskoning
Haskoning plays a prominent role in the development and application of innovations in the field of water technology. Together with governments, knowledge institutions and companies, Haskoning is specialized to bring innovations to a practical scale and to develop a global market for them. The water innovations Nereda and Ephyra are two leading examples of this.
“The success of water technology is determined far less by the technology itself than by the ability to create market acceptance for it.”
THE FIRST ADOPTER
- Michiel Louwe Kooijmans
- 10:45
Michiel Louwe-Kooijmans
Koninklijke Vezet, senior Project Manager
Koninklijke Vezet, part of Kramer Food Company, is a company of families with plant-based food in the genes. We break new ground by creating and producing convenient fresh food solutions. We all encourage a movement towards a new, sustainable way of eating.
“The Dutch industry needs strong Dutch watertech to reduce its use of drinking water.”
THE ENTREPRENEUR
- Erik Driessen
- 11:00
How do you build a company instead of just a technology?
Erik Driessen, CEO Acquaint
Aquaint offers innovative solutions that enable pipeline owners and asset managers to predict pipeline failure and prioritise investments. They are bringing their smart pipeline inspection tools into the world. And they’re very clear about one thing: marketing pays off in innovations. Innovations need proper and credible explanations understood by many more than just the technical buyer.
“The average Dutch water tech company should double their marketing budget.”
THE CATALYST
- Heleen Sombekke
- 11:15
How do you accelerate an entire innovation ecosystem?
Heleen Sombekke, UPPWATER
THE CRITICAL FRIEND
- Paul O'Callaghan
- 11:35
What should we do differently?
Paul O’Callaghan, Bluetech research
