Business Deals Affirm Singapore International Water Week As Leading Global Water Platform

The event drew to a successful close with more than 21,000 participants from all over the world and $15.2B in total value of business deals announced

Efficient water management, future technologies and talent development emerged high on the global water sustainability agenda at the 7th Singapore International Water Week. Held from 10 – 14 July 2016, the global water conference also concluded on a record-breaking note, garnering $15.2B in total value for the announcements on projects awarded, tenders, investments and MOUs. Held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS), the three co-located conferences attracted more than 21,000 participants from 115 countries and regions. 

The record-breaking achievement in total value for announcements on company investments, R&D collaborations and project partnerships reaffirmed the continued vibrancy of Singapore as a global hydrohub and SIWW as the leading global water platform for business networking, solutions and technology. Some of the significant announcements made at this year’s SIWW included:

• Call for upcoming tenders for the design and construction of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) Phase 2 and the Integrated Waste Management Facility; the design and construction of DTSS Phase 2 is estimated to cost $6.5B; 
• A $200M funding boost under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 plan to further R&D in the Singapore water industry over the next five years;
• The construction of a fifth desalination plant on Singapore’s Jurong Island that will add 30 million gallons of water per day to the nation’s water supply;
• Launch of the Singapore Water Academy, an institute for learning that builds and enhances the capabilities of water professionals in Singapore and around the world;
• Opening of Memstar’s Membrane Manufacturing Plant and R&D centre, a new membrane manufacturing facility in Singapore;
• An investment of $3.5B by Korea's Ministry of Environment over the next 12 years to refurbish and build new water infrastructure;
• A research collaboration between ZWEEC and USEPA for the development and implementation of an online toxicity water monitoring programme;
• A five-year agreement between PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, and GE Water to explore new research opportunities as well as develop novel water treatment technologies and R&D projects locally 

The Water Leaders Summit played host to over 500 water leaders from the government, utilities, international organizations, academia and private companies, including, 14 water-related ministers, water utility leaders from every continent and CEOs of the world’s biggest water companies. Distinguished delegates include HE Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Rumaihi, Minister of Municipality and Environment, Qatar; HE Esben Lunde Larsen, Minister for Environment and Food, Denmark;Dr. Han Seung-soo, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Water, Special Advisor to the High Level Panel on Water, and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea; Mr Benedito Braga, President, World Water Council; Gerardo Ablaza Jr, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manila Water Company; Mr Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board of Nestlé S.A; and Mr Charles O. Holliday-Jr, Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell PLC. 

As an integrated component across SIWW, WCS and CESS, the inaugural City Solutions Singapore brought together more than 1,000 leading companies and innovative start-ups across 31,000 sqm to showcase new and cutting-edge solutions for urban development, water, and waste and cleaning management. Four country / region pavilions – Turkey, Spain, Scotland and the EU Business Avenues in Southeast Asia Pavilion – made their bow at SIWW 2016, joining 17 other pavilions to provide a gateway for their companies to enter the growing Asian water market. 

“This year’s SIWW saw more discussions elevating the water agenda for cities, enhancing collaborations between the public and private sectors, and the use of next-generation technologies for the future of water,” said Bernard Tan, Managing Director of SIWW. “The high value and wide-ranging announcements cement SIWW’s value proposition as a global platform for business match-making, practical solutions and innovative technologies.” 

More than 100 co-located events were organised on the sidelines of SIWW, adding to the vibrancy and buzz of the 4-day event. Highlights include the inaugural high-level ASEAN Plus Three Water Ministers Forum (APTWMF) where Ministers shared the latest plans and developments of water resources management among APT countries. It facilitated the strengthening of cooperative efforts to improve overall water management among the ASEAN-China, ASEAN-Japan, and ASEAN-Korea Centres. 

Leading the development of ISO international standard for water efficiency management systems, Singapore also hosted the second ISO TC 224 Working Group 12 meeting on 14 and 15 July. This working group is in charge of drafting the new ISO standard on water efficiency management systems, which is based on the Singapore Standard on water efficiency management systems (SS 577). SS 577 was first published by SPRING Singapore in 2012 to support PUB’s water sustainability efforts by helping companies in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors to better account for their water usage and implement sustainable water management practices. The new ISO standard on water efficiency management systems will incorporate the latest water efficiency management practices, including those implemented in Singapore. This new standard will help organisations throughout the world manage their precious water resources in a more sustainable manner. As part of the working group meeting, a dialogue session was also organised by the Standard Development Organisation at Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SDO@SCIC) and supported by SPRING to provide opportunities for the water industry to interact with the international experts. 

SIWW will return for its 8th edition from 8 – 12 July 2018. As a testament to its status as the leading global platform for business, technology, and solutions in the water industry, returning exhibitors have already committed close to 60% of exhibition space, well ahead of SIWW 2018. The global water conference will continue to be co-located with the World Cities Summit and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore. 

About Singapore International Water Week
The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform to share and co-create innovative water solutions. Comprising the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Business Forums, Industrial Water Solutions Forum, Water Expo, TechXchange, Young Water Leaders Summit and HydroPreneur Programme, SIWW delivers a range of flagship programmes and platforms that bring together the global value chain of water to share the latest in business and technological innovations, as well as policy developments in water. The 8th Singapore International Water Week will be held from 8-12 July 2018, co-located with the World Cities Summit (WCS) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS). For more information, visit http://www.siww.com.sg/.