The aim of the Forum is to provide a meeting place for anyone involved in all aspects of new and innovative Water Technologies. The Forum brings together Water Start-ups, the large Water Corporations (GE Water, Veolia etc), Research Institutes (Batelle Institute, Stanford University), Water Utilities (American Water, PUB Singapore) and those involved in investment in new water technologies (XPV Capital, Vantage Point Venture Partners).

The first half of the day will feature the BlueTech Showcase, designed to give a platform to early stage, innovative Water Technology Companies. Each Company has the opportunity to present to the audience, highlighting their value proposition and business strategy.

The afternoon program will feature two keynote conversations with Jerry Yudelson and Frank Rijsberman. There will also be three sessions with renowned Water Industry Experts. The panelists will discuss the future of Urban Water Systems, explore the complete story of one of biggest acquisitions of 2011- the acquisition of Norit X-Flow by Pentair, and give us a glimpse into technologies of the future from the world’s leading Research Institutes.

A new feature of the forum this year will be two field trips on Thursday, May 31st; NASA Ames Research Laboratory, and Stanford University Craig Criddle Research Group.

The reception directly following the Forum will give all participants an excellent opportunity to network, meet other water innovation leaders and share ideas with other water experts.

“We believe the Wetsus Rabobank Water Business Challenge presents a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in developing a go-to-market strategy in the water industry. We are delighted to be supporting this valuable industry training opportunity,” Paul O’Callaghan, CEO, O₂ Environmental.

The Challenge was created for aspiring entrepreneurs with or without knowledge of the water sector, successful managers of water companies and specialists in intellectual property, marketing and finance to develop a business plan or idea, start a new business venture, develop a commercialization plan, or expand their knowledge about water technology commercialization.

Participants will also have access to organizations and business experts in the fields of water technology, business development, sustainability and strategic planning.

The Challenge will take place March 12-16, 2012 in Leeuwarden, Friesland The Netherlands.

For more information, click here.

In cleantech arena, the water sector has been the VC investment and financing stepchild, garnering only 3 percent of the overall $400 billion in annual spend. As innovators confront sector challenges with new technologies that address regulation requirements, rising operating costs, and aging infrastructure, the balance for the sector is shifting to “capital hungry.”

GP Bullhound, a research-centric investment banking firm in the technology sector, reports in its November Water Sector Report that the sector is progressively evolving to an “exciting time of change” for innovators, operators and investors. The report details the growing demands of the industry, enumerates the significant realignments causing the change, and makes the case for an increase in large investment opportunities.

Changes Driving Innovation

What is forcing this innovation? “These change drivers are colliding with an industry that is seen as immune to change, politicized in its decision making, with high capital costs, even higher operating costs, and a civil engineer mindset. Add to the mix a dwindling supply of fresh and clean water, increased energy costs and the entry of managers with a new way of thinking as well as new and large corporates and we have an ecosystem where new technologies can thrive,” the report says.

Waste to Energy Technologies

Experts interviewed for the report included Paul O’Callaghan, CEO of O2 Environmental and founder of the BlueTech Forum, an annual industry event that features thought leaders addressing market insights, opportunities and research. O’Callaghan explained that recovering energy and water from waste is needed.

“Each year and in the US alone, there are 36.5 Million MW hours of energy lost down in wastewater and 25 million MW hours of this ends up in sludge. Up until now, we have been throwing away our two most critical resources: energy and water,” he says.

For this problem, promising technologies exist and others are near commercialization. These include gasification, conversion into fertilizer, and the production of power through electrochemical processes, supercritical water oxidation processes, sludge conversion and recapture of scarce minerals.

Perceptions of Desalination Changing

In the desalination area, perceptions are changing. No longer is the process seen as being too prohibitively expensive or only the domain of the oil-rich Gulf States. O’Callaghan notes that desalination costs at the new Carlsbad desalination project in San Diego are now equivalent on a cubic meter basis to the cost of pumping water in from Northern California. Increased performance is also expected in this arena.

Outlook for Emerging Tech Companies

While the industry is exhibiting strong signs of a shift, the outlook for emerging tech companies may not be as rosy. With few “well-beaten paths to success” and time-tested role models, young companies face an industry with a fragmented structure, and one that expects proven and sound technologies (e.g., biological processes require testing that allows for the effects of seasons).

The capital-management-customer equation is also fraught with inequalities. The industry may be capital hungry, but if there is no proof of enough customer orders to create a positive margin, the capital will go elsewhere.

Additionally, utilities and municipalities adopt technologies from trusted players. Building trust and market adoption and penetration takes time and are critical for setting the stage for true commercial traction. Capital decision-making and hesitation to commit further complicates, and oftentimes, stalls the process.

Framework Agreements Limit Innovation

Capital and maintenance agreements with large engineering firms have the potential to strangle innovation. If large firms have no incentive to innovate or experiment, commercialization will gain little traction. Evaluating a new technology is one thing. Implementing it is another.

Long investment cycles for refurbishments and slow buying cycles further complicate the adoption of new technologies.

Concurrent Changes Needed

At present, there’s little evidence of return-generating exits for financial investors. To post more successes in the sector, qualified and entrepreneurial management teams are needed. Investors and emerging companies must have the patience and willingness to commit to a long-haul journey. Customer relationships are still king as is not betting on the wrong technology and not taking into account the conservative nature of the industry.

Communication, A Strong Sector Complement

Most importantly, one mustn’t overlook the role of communication – especially from awareness, public accountability, and risk communication perspectives. Water main breaks posted on YouTube, for example, create negative publicity. Images of these spectacular explosions do not bode well for community relations and public confidence in a utility’s ability to deliver on the safety and public health front.

Despite the barriers to entry and sector demands, these significant realignments taking place are creating a more VC and investor ready environment. Strategic communication – a necessary sector complement – can help to usher in a new way of thinking for large utilities, create awareness about the value of water amongst the general public, ensure regulatory compliance, and raise the profile of the water-energy nexus.

To read the full GP Bullhound Research Report click here.

Written by Donna Vincent Roa, water sector communication expert and Managing Partner & Chief Strategist of Vincent Roa Group, a strategic business and science communication firm that provides executives with world-class communication, brand management, and on-call premium editing and writing services.

Nanofiltration (NF) was originally developed alongside reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membrane technologies more than 30 years ago. However, the drivers which emerged in the drinking water market during the 1990’s bypassed NF. Thus whereas RO, UF and MF enjoyed rapid development and an enthusiastic uptake, NF remained a niche technology. More recently however, concerns have risen about the impact of emerging contaminants such as pharmaceutical residuals and pesticides in surface water sources. NF may soon become a key technology to secure water quality, especially in the context of an increasing focus on wastewater reuse as an alternative resource. In addition, NF should achieve future treatment standards for dissolved organics with lower energy input than RO.

This BlueTech Tracker™ webinar will include presentations from international technology experts and market leaders from the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK. The webinar will provide insights into the current status of nanofiltration, both in terms of drivers and technology, and will include a Q&A session to address specific questions from participants.

Early Bird Registration Closes – Friday November 18th – $199

After Friday November Registration – $245

To register please click here.

Moderator:

Dr Graeme K Pearce, Director, Membrane
Consultancy Associates, UK and Partner, O2 TAG

Panelists:

Craig Bartels, Vice President – Technology, Hydranautics

Michael S. Motherway, CEO, DXV Water Technologies

Stephan van Hoof, Ir, R&D Director, Pentair X-flow

Dr. Ir. Arne Verliefde, Professor, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering,
Particle and Interfacial Technology Group, Ghent University

Organized in Partnership with

Produce water equipment in operation

The environmental issues surrounding hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” and the produced water associated with it has become a subject of intense debate within the United States as well as other parts of the world (e.g. the recent fracking Ban in France). This webinar will go beyond the media buzz by bringing together experts in the field of produced water treatment to discuss the technical issues and market realities.

This webinar will provide a perspective on the differences / similarities between the scale of the Produced problem in different areas (USA, Europe, Australia), variations in the Produced Water Characteristics, regulations and technology approaches.

To register or to read more click on the link ‘Produced Water – Technical and Market Overview’

Developed by O2 Environmental , the leading authority on innovative water technologies, the BlueTech Tracker is the most comprehensive database containing innovative new water technology companies. It tracks and analyses activities and trends in the water technology market.  It is expanded and updated on a continual basis to provide investors and water companies with the tools and key metrics needed to assess and monitor emerging technologies. We are focused on what is changing, and how new approaches, new technologies, and new needs are re-shaping the global water technology market.

Los Angeles Convention Centre where O2 Environmental will be attending WEFTEC

Subscribers to the BlueTech Tracker gain access to the full content of the database and also receive monthly and bi-annual reports.  These reports analyse the technology “movers and shakers” and provide expert insight and analysis on:

• emerging technology trends
• independent technology assessments
• analysis of market drivers
• overview of market activity

If you are interested in scheduling a meeting with us, send an email to info@o2env.com.

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  BlueTech Tracker Newsletter Oct. 2011 cover

  BlueTech Tracker Newsletter October 2011 cover

• Nutrient recovery webinar summary report
• Upcoming ‘Produced water’ webinar
• O2 Environmental’s presentation at the European Energy Venture Fair
• The latest on innovative water technology ‘Movers & Shakers”

Carbery Milk products the basis of an O2 Environmental case study

Carbery Milk Products is a major international food ingredients, flavours and cheese manufacturer headquartered in Cork, Ireland. They have operations in the US and were examining what to with the whey in their waster water.  What is interesting was they were not motivated by environmental reasons, there was an economic driver.

To view the PowerPoint present click on the link Turning whey in dairy wastewater into alcohol PowerPoint

To view the script linked to the presentation Turning whey in dairy wastewater into alcohol – script

Paul O'Callaghan O2 Environmental speaking at European Energy Venture Fair

In his presentation, Paul spoke about water technology opportunities, innovations and investment trends. He specifically mentioned companies working on wastewater to electricity conversion.  He also talked about a future in which desalination plants would use advanced technologies and less energy, as do the most advanced plants in the world. In addition Paul’s presentation covered:

• What clusters of technologies can be defined?
• How did technologies evolve over time?
• Has the market been acquisitive?
• What regulation can we expect in the future?

The European Energy Venture Fair is organised by the Energy Venture Forum, a Swiss non-profit association established in 2007. For those interested, next year’s event takes place at the Swiss Re Center for Global Dialogue in Zurich / Rüschlikon on the 12th and 13th September 2012.

To view Paul’s presentation click on the link Presentation by Paul O’Callaghan O2 Environmental at European Energy Venture Fair Sept. 2011