A welcome address from co-hosts Divya Inna, Client Relations Manager, BlueTech Research & Tom Ferguson, VP Programming, Imagine H2O.

Every industry contains a troop of pioneers – the catalysts, the moonshot thinkers – and doers, the ones we all end up following. It is no different when it comes to water. We call them ‘The Lighthouses’.

To amplify the exemplary work that we know private and public water professionals want to learn from, we have founded The Lighthouse Awards.

This opening plenary features a cross-section of the world’s leading companies who feature in our inaugural awards shortlist.

In their own unique way, each of the nominees are path-finding and trailblazing; setting ambitious targets, and turning these targets into reality by embracing new innovations and ways of working.

Paul O’Callaghan is our host to guide us through the conversation.

Mark Nelson, ‘Biospherian’ and Chairman, Institute of Ecotechnics

Ecologist and author, Mark Nelson was one of the original ‘biospherians’ and we’re honoured that he will be joining us to share his fascinating story. A renowned international speaker, Mark is also a founding director of the Institute of Ecotechnics and has worked with water, wastewater and natural systems for several decades.

Interviewing Mark Nelson will Aoife Kelleher, Lead Researcher, Brave Blue World. Mark share lessons he learned from his time in Biosphere II around closed loops, connectivity, conservation, isolation and the need to tackle global problems with global cooperation. His research focuses on closed ecological system research, ecological engineering, restoration of damaged ecosystems, and wastewater recycling.

Mark is the author of numerous papers and books, including the excellent ‘Wastewater Gardener: Preserving the Planet One Flush at a Time’, co-author of a newly published 2nd edition of “Life Under Glass: Crucial Lessons in Planetary Stewardship from 2 years inside Biosphere 2” (Synergetic Press, 2020) and is featured in the new documentary exploring the Biosphere II journey, Spaceship Earth.

View Mark’s speaker profile here

Before founding BlueTech Research, Paul O’Callaghan was lead author on the groundbreaking report Water Technology Markets 2010. This report analysed the prospects of a wide range of innovative technologies across the water and wastewater treatment space. A decade later, we take stock of the changes in Water Technology Markets 2020. What has come to pass? What never materialised? What we can expect as we project out to 2030?

The presentation will take into account the impact of COVID-19 and the potential ramifications on the global water technology market.

From anaerobic membrane bioreactors to zero liquid discharge technologies, this upcoming report (exclusive to BlueTech Research clients) will summarise the changes within a catalogue of innovations in terms of market trajectory, and the fate and progress of the technology suppliers.

We examine:

– What trends were called correctly 10 years ago, and what was off the mark?
– Which technologies didn’t pan out, and why?
– What drives success and failure in water technology innovation?
– What will the next 10 years look like?

BlueTech Research’s Divya Inna and Paul O’Callaghan will guide us through this Water Technology Markets 2020 preview, including mind-maps and forecasts for technology growth.

– Stay tuned for announcements on:

– The Lighthouse Awards

– BlueTech Connect: Peer-to-Peer Roundtables

– TAG MasterClass Program

– Virtual Technology Showcases- View our 2020 Innovation Showcase Companies here

Seth Siegel, NY Times Best-Selling Author

Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink, Seth M. Siegel explores how America’s drinking water became contaminated, how it impacts public health, and what solutions exist that can make US drinking water safe. Full of shocking stories about contaminated water found across the country, Troubled Water explains how we got to this point, highlights the everyday heroes who have tried to force changes in the quality and safety of drinking water, and concludes with what America must do to reverse decades of neglect.

Due to years of Congressional inaction and lack of enforcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and lead, have been getting into drinking water across America. Many of these contaminants are linked to cancer, heart disease, birth defects, and lowered IQ. Because many of these contaminants are not regulated, no testing is required – leaving millions of households unknowingly at risk. Many communities have been forced to drink bottled water, but the quality and safety of this alternative is also unreliable.

Fortunately, technologies already exist that are able to remove these harmful contaminants and make drinking water safe. Since most of the pipes and treatment plants are far beyond their useful life, over $1 trillion is needed to upgrade the US drinking water infrastructure. This crisis provides an opportunity for corporations, academics, and others who can play a part in improving America’s drinking water system, and improving the nation’s public health.

Interviewing Seth will be Reinhard Hubner, Investment Manager, Skion (view speaker profile here).

View Seth’s speaker profile here.