The recent SWAN Annual Conference held in Glasgow from 8th to 11th May saw the participation of a prominent Dutch delegation consisting of several innovative water technology companies. The delegation aimed to showcase their expertise and forge new collaborations with the UK water sector. With representatives from Acquaint, HULO, Hydraloop, LG Sonic, Royal HaskoningDHV, and Samotics, the Dutch delegation made a significant impact during the conference.
The delegation kicked off their activities on Tuesday, 9th May, with pre-conference workshops and networking sessions. Proactively they reached out to various water utilities and contractors. Notably, valuable connections with Anglian Water’s Shop Window initiative and the SPRING Accelerator, a program involving several UK utilities were made.
On Wednesday, 10th May, the conference’s first day, the Dutch delegation continued their active networking efforts. They established meaningful connections with companies like Jacobs, Arcadis, and others. Moreover, a round table discussion titled “Optimising Water/Wastewater Processes through Digitalisation and Data Utilisation – Dutch Innovative Solutions & Experiences from International Water Utilities” proved to be highly popular. The round table brought together representatives from six international water utilities and Dutch companies, attracting over 25 participants. It provided an excellent forum for fruitful discussions and networking. Key contacts were established during this session, with Hydraloop engaging in promising discussions with Arcadis, HULO meeting with United Utilities, and Samotics making connections with Scottish Water.
Additionally, an important milestone was achieved during the conference with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between British Water and Water Alliance. This agreement solidifies the collaboration between the two organizations and paves the way for future joint initiatives and projects.
The third day of the conference, Thursday, 11th May, meeting new people was once again on the menu. Hydraloop received an invitation from Arcadis to join a round table discussion in Edinburgh. The conference’s main stage featured a presentation by Vitens and Samotics, showcasing the use of Samotics’ technology in the Netherlands.
As the conference drew to a close, the Dutch delegation celebrated several concrete successes. Overall, the Dutch delegation’s participation at the SWAN Annual Conference proved to be highly successful. Through their proactive networking efforts, participation in workshops, engaging presentations, and round table discussions, the delegation made an impact at SWAN, contributing to the tagline to make smart water mainstream.
Robbert Lodewijks of Hulo: ‘For us a really great event! Positive things: small scale and affordable for a startup, so feasible to attend. Moreover, there was a specific target group present and our Water Alliance booth received huge interest. Thanks to good PR beforehand, it was a resounding success! The in-depth discussions with people from utilities as well as other large companies in the sector have been incredibly helpful in how we need to polish our value proposition as a startup.’
Dirk-Jan Wienen of Samotics: ‘I look back on a successful couple of days. It was good to experience an event where the focus was on content. In addition, it is of course always good to speak to existing contacts, but also certainly to make new connections. Regarding the latter, I certainly liked the way Water Alliance facilitated this. The joint booth was a nice base, which provided recognizability. In addition, the round table sessions were a good way to approach our contacts in a different way.’
The Dutch trade mission to SWAN was part of the WTEX10 programme, which is powered by the Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat, Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, TKI Watertechnologie, Topsector Water & Maritiem and Water Alliance. The WTEX10 programme organizes high-quality trade missions for the Dutch Water Sector.
