Following an exciting finale with seven entries, Wafilin Systems won the WIS Award (Water Alliance Innovation Stimulation Award) with its innovation “Concentrating Milk”. The innovation stimulation prize, which the Water Alliance awards annually, was announced at the international WaterLink symposium at the WTC Expo in Leeuwarden. The Concentrating Milk innovation allows farmers to concentrate milk quickly and inexpensively right on the farm. That means big savings on transportation costs. In addition, the farmer can reuse the residual water. As prize, Wafilin Systems receives a marketing and communications package for promoting the innovation, internationally if desired.
The winner was decided in an exciting finale, in which after 45 minutes of high-intensity pitching the time to vote arrived. Both the audience – made up entirely of international experts – and the jury, made up of Cees Buisman (Wetsus), Cora Uijterlinde (STOWA) and Willem Buijs (Hatenboer Water), could cast a vote. The jury and audience were not in complete agreement on the winner, but Wafilin ultimately won thanks to its winning the majority of audience votes.
An honourable second place was reserved for Aquacolor Sensors, from entrepreneurs Frank Akkerman and Mateo Mayer. That made their company the runner up. Sponsored by Wetsus, the runner up may now take part in the March 2017 WaterCampus Business Challenge free of charge. The company demonstrated a system that can measure water quality in real time and autonomously administer a purification system. Particularly in the monitoring of long pipe systems, like those used on farms, the innovation helps in the prevention of biofilm.
