NYU Abu Dhabi Brings Together Researchers, Entrepreneurs, And Industry Leaders To Turn Water Innovation Into Action Ahead Of 2026 UN Water Conference

His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa calls for greater collaboration between academia, business, and investors to take promising water technologies from the laboratory to the real world

Abu Dhabi, UAE -  Turning a promising idea into a solution that can reach millions of people requires more than scientific discovery. It takes entrepreneurs willing to take risks, investors prepared to back new ideas, businesses ready to scale technologies, and partnerships that connect innovation with real-world needs.

This was the focus of Water Technology for the 21st Century,  a high-level discussion hosted by NYU Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 5 November, featuring a keynote opening  by His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, alongside leaders from research, industry, and infrastructure to explore how technology, entrepreneurship, and investment can accelerate solutions to global water challenges.

The dialogue comes ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, which the UAE and Senegal will Co-Host in Abu Dhabi from 8–10 December. The Conference will bring together governments, businesses, investors, researchers, youth, and innovators to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

In his remarks, His Excellency Balalaa challenged the research and innovation community to look beyond what is already possible and consider how new ideas can be translated into solutions that make a tangible difference.

He emphasised that universities, start-ups and established businesses all have a role to play, but that stronger connections between research, entrepreneurship, investment and industry are needed to bring promising technologies to market:

“The world does not suffer from a shortage of ideas. Researchers and innovators are already developing solutions that could fundamentally change the way we understand, manage and value water. The challenge is ensuring that these ideas can move beyond laboratories and pilot projects into the communities, cities and water systems that need them.

“That requires closer collaboration between scientists, governments, industry, investors and operators. Universities such as NYU Abu Dhabi have an essential role to play, bringing together disciplines and perspectives, connecting research with innovation and entrepreneurship, and creating spaces where experts and emerging voices can work together on solutions to shared challenges. Universities are places where disciplines meet, ideas are challenged, and new possibilities emerge. They can help bridge the gap between scientific discovery and practical application, while preparing the next generation to lead this work.”

He also highlighted the opportunity for the UAE to share its experience and expertise with the international community, while creating new pathways for technologies developed in the UAE and elsewhere to reach new markets and scale their impact.

Turning water innovation into real-world solutions

The panel discussion, Water Technology for the 21st Century, brought together perspectives from across research, industry, and infrastructure:

• Dr. Shehab Al Muharrami, CEO, TAQA Water Solutions
• Professor Nidal Hilal, Director, NYUAD Water Research Center
• William Janssen, Co-Founder and CEO, Desolenator
• Moderated by Henro Mans, Associate Director, Miral

Among the technologies discussed were advanced membrane systems, hybrid treatment technologies, and AI-enabled optimisation, alongside opportunities to reduce the energy demands of desalination and recover valuable resources from wastewater.

A central theme was the need to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation. While researchers and entrepreneurs are developing promising technologies, taking them to scale requires access to investment, opportunities for testing and demonstration, supportive policy frameworks, and partnerships with utilities and industry.

The discussion highlighted the UAE's growing role as a platform for bringing these elements together, creating opportunities for innovators to test, develop, and scale solutions with potential for impact well beyond the region.

Connecting research with opportunity

His Excellency Balalaa and guests, including NYU Trustee Rima Al Mokarrab and research students, toured the NYUAD Water Research Center, led by Professor Nidal Hilal, and the Mubadala Arabian Center for Climate and Environmental Sciences (ACCESS), led by Professor John Burt, where researchers are advancing work in desalination, water treatment, environmental science, and technologies relevant to water security.

The visit underscored the important role universities can play not only in advancing scientific discovery, but also in connecting researchers with entrepreneurs, industry partners, and investors who can help bring new solutions into practical use.

Fabio Piano, Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi, also shared:

“Water security is one of the defining questions for this region and the world. New technologies are opening up real possibilities but moving them from the lab into everyday use takes research, industry and government working together. Our researchers are working on this across engineering, science and policy, from desalination and water treatment to the climate and environment of the Gulf, often alongside partners here in the UAE. We are proud to bring those voices together, and look forward to sharing our research at the UN Water Conference next month.”

From Abu Dhabi to the world: the 2026 UN Water Conference

In less than a month, the UAE will host the world for the 2026 UN Water Conference,  from 8–10 December at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

As only the third UN Water Conference since 1977, and the first led by the Global South, it represents an important opportunity to bring the international community together to accelerate implementation of SDG 6 and mobilise the partnerships, finance, technology, and expertise needed to deliver water security.

NYU Abu Dhabi will contribute to the Conference through activations at The Oasis, the Conference's hub for innovation, ideas, and collaboration, alongside participation across the wider programme. Its involvement will help bring UAE-based research and expertise into the global conversation, connecting researchers, and innovators with potential partners and opportunities for collaboration.

With the Conference approaching, the call is clear: the next generation of water solutions will depend not only on what we discover, but on what we do with it. Entrepreneurs, start-ups, researchers, investors, students, and businesses all have a role in turning ideas into solutions that can be tested, financed and scaled.

Abu Dhabi will provide a platform to make those connections, share knowledge, and help bring the next wave of water innovation to the world.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 31 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world, and to advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

About the 2026 UN Water Conference

Water is life. It is the foundation for human dignity, collective stability, and prosperity, and the invisible thread connecting our communities, economies, and shared future.

Co-Hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, the 2026 UN Water Conference will take place in Abu Dhabi from 8–10 December 2026. It will be the third UN Water Conference since 1977, and the first UN Conference dedicated to accelerating implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The UAE and Senegal aspire to convene a Conference defined by action, advancing partnerships, investment, political commitments, and practical solutions that improve lives, restore ecosystems, and accelerate access to water and sanitation.

Every future flows from water. Abu Dhabi is where that future is built. Registration for The Oasis is open via www.unwaterconferenceuae.com