WHAT

What was the marketplace about?

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“Innovate 4 Water” is two days of matchmaking, bringing together solutions and needs, curated into investment focussed themes.

The design and delivery of “Innovate 4 Water” is unique and effective because the marketplace:  

• is outcome oriented 

• has 100% active participation 

• is highly curated 

• has a business-networking focus.

“Innovate 4 Water” organisers, in conjunction with Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur, wcoached participants on the day before the marketplace.

WHY

Why “Innovate 4 Water”?

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“Innovate 4 Water” marketplace fosters interactions between global and local players from the private sector, the public sector and the civil society to shift financing towards innovative impactful local solutions. 

What are the expected outcomes?

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Strong reinforcement of the local ecosystems around water resource management, WASH and the water nexus. The marketplace accelerates commercially sustainable change by: 

• creating visibility to established technological solutions and business models, local solution providers and local investors 

• attracting higher levels of blended investments outside of donor and aid funding 

• transferring water sector and water-dependent knowledge and innovation 

• forming meaningful partnerships and cross-sectoral collaborations 

• driving economic growth and improving access to water and sanitation in the targeted region.

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WHO

Audience:

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• SMEs and multinational companies with interest in the water nexus sector

• utilities and civil engineering

• primary and manufacturing industries

• investors (banking, asset management, private banking, corporates, venture capital, private equity)

• water nexus institutions (foundations, coalitions, associations)

• non-government and governmental organisations, national and local

• universities / incubators / research institutions

PRIOR TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The marketplace was fast paced, delivered in two days with 120 participants. The marketplace design was fundamentally different from typical conferences. The “Innovate 4 Water” effective design and the detail in their execution always aimed to facilitate connections and collaborations to bring maximum value to each participant. Its key characteristics were:

• participation by invitation or recommendation only, to achieve the best matchmaking outcome and maximum impact during and after the marketplace

• choice of solutions providers focused on financial viability and scalability

• coaching of marketplace participants prior to each marketplace to deliver effective pitches

POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

COVID-19 restrictions require logistical adjustment to the delivery mode of the “Innovate 4 Water” Forum. For the Brisbane event in August 2020, International WaterCentre and Waterpreneurs are embedding the following changes:

• limiting the number of face-to face attendees

• introducing COVID-19 Safe measures for physical attendance, including 4m2 per person space provision, and physical distancing, and hygiene protocol monitoring

• implementing an “Innovate 4 Water” risk management plan with a focus on COVID-19 Safe compliance

• increasing activities in the lead up and post event

• delivering the forum via an industry leading virtual networking platform, combining live streaming and virtual events software for immersive, close to real time experience, remote participation. The platform is specifically designed for networking and will enable a mix of physical and virtual audience participation.

• ensuring sufficient technical support on site during the forum for smooth flow of sessions and participant interaction other features of the platform include: real-time video networking, trackable interactions, playback of presentations, post-event access and follow-up networking, virtual reality interactivity, easy connection and networking features (including LinkedIn connectivity)

CO-ORGANISING PARTNERS