Water Innovation Summit: A Confluence Of Minds

By Arti Patel and Sheeraz Haji, Cleantech Group LLC

Despite having been called the “Oil of the Future” for decades, water remains widely underappreciated. Consumers do little to conserve or curb water usage, and utilities continue to supply communities and industries with water at steeply discounted prices relative to other natural resources. To effect a change in attitude, more needs to be done to analyze and understand the role of innovation in the water sector, and to address challenges that prohibit the widespread adoption and implementation of this innovation.

In an ongoing effort to support the water innovation community, the Cleantech Group held a Water Innovation Summit on September 13-14, 2012 in Berkeley, California. The event brought together stakeholders across the water sector, including utilities, investors, entrepreneurs, policy and thought leaders, and buy-side representatives. The workshop-style format of this year’s event allowed for a fully engaged audience in thought-provoking discussions on key innovation and financing drivers for both utilities and industries.