BRISBANE - 2020
"Innovate 4 Water" - a marketplace for sustainable development
29-30 April 2020 | Brisbane
POSTPONED
Australia’s contribution to strengthen water nexus sectors in the Asia-Pacific region
CO-ORGANIZING PARTNERS
UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF
SPONSORS
WHAT & WHY
A marketplace forum for sustainable development
What is 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:
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is outcome oriented
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has 100% active participation
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is highly curated
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has a business-networking focus.
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:
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creating visibility to established technological solutions and business models, local solution providers and local investors
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attracting higher levels of blended investments outside of donor and aid funding
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transferring water sector and water-dependent knowledge and innovation
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forming meaningful partnerships and cross-sectoral collaborations
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driving economic growth and improving access to water and sanitation in the targeted region.
“Innovate 4 Water” organisers, in conjunction with Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur, will coach participants on the day before the marketplace. We will also run a special pitching session for start-ups on the day after the marketplace.
WHO
Intended audience:
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SMEs and multinational companies with interest in the water nexus sector
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utilities and civil engineering
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primary and manufacturing industries
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investors (banking, asset management, private banking, corporates, venture capital, private equity)
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water nexus institutions (foundations, coalitions, associations)
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non-government and governmental organisations, national and local
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universities / incubators / research institutions
ORGANISATIONS THAT PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED "INNOVATE 4 WATER"INCLUDE
SEQUENCE AND ORGANIZATION
The event will be dynamic, interactive and innovative, consisting of short pitches and networking discussions, and an exhibition with an extra day for pitch coaching. Importantly, pitching and networking sessions will be dedicated to facilitating connections between the participating stakeholders, with a focus on concrete projects in the field. We require every participating organisation to pitch their solutions and needs.
An exhibition marketplace will be available during the whole event, with selected organisations presenting their activities, innovations, technologies and projects. This marketplace will be used for active networking. To ensure the event has the broadest impact and reach, sessions will be recorded and documented for post-event marketing and media amplification.
There are breaks of 45min in a marketplace format (small booth for entrepreneurs and relevant organisations) to facilitate interactions and discussions.
HOW TO ENGAGE
You can engage as a solution provider: an entrepreneur, an investor, a government representative, or a sponsor. “Innovate 4 Water” is a curated event and participation in the event is by invitation only. To engage, you need to follow two steps.
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Step 1
To express your interest click here and complete the registration form. It will take approximately 20 minutes to complete the registration form.
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Solution providers from the various categories must register their intent to pitch at “Innovate 4 Water”. You will be asked details about your solution and capabilities.
Entrepreneurs
If you would like to participate as an entrepreneur, please contact Andrew Best @ a.best@watercentre.org for more information or call 0408 862 076.
Investors
If you would like to participate as an investor, please contact Oksana Tkachenko @ o.tkachenko@watercentre.org for more information or call 0408 843 690.
Government representative (reserve link)
If you would like to participate as a government representative, please contact Andrew Best @ a.best@watercentre.org for more information or call 0408 862 076.
Sponsor information (download link)
If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact Andrew Best @ a.best@watercentre.org for more information or call 0408 862 076.
Step 2
Once you have been accepted into the event, you need to purchase a participant ticket by following the link below.
PROGRAMME
Tentative programme
Day 0 (optional)
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Coaching for presenters
​Day 1
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Pitches (5-7 min) by solution providers (established entrepreneurs, enablers and investors)
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Networking and matchmaking sessions
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Day 2
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Pitches (5-7 min) by solution providers (established entrepreneurs, enablers and investors)
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Networking and matchmaking sessions
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Day 3 (optional)
- Start-up pitching day
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The following topics, which reflect current sector priorities, will be the focus of the marketplace:
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sustainable planning for health, food, energy and water nexus 
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efficiency in water infrastructure, and management 
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off-grid and distributed solutions 
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technology investment readiness and hybrid business models 
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exporting Australian innovation and expertise 
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unlocking the value of water with innovative finance 
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embracing the circular economy  
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mitigating and adapting to climate change  
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role of NGOs, Development and Government agencies. 
DETAILED PROGRAMME
REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION FEES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING (for one person):
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Access to the 2 days event 29th and 30th April (including teas, snacks and lunches)
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Access to the evening cocktail on the 29th April
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​Opportunity to pitch (5min) during the event (if presentation received before the 15th of April and approved)
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Opportunity to get a bistro table to exhibit in the market place
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Possibility to participate in the coaching session on the 28th April
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Possibility to participate in the start-up pitching session led by the Office of Queensland Chief Entrepreneur on May 1st
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Please note, registrations will close at 5pm on Monday 28 April 2020. Super Early Bird and Early Bird Participant offers expire on the 25 March and the 6 April 2020 respectively.
WHERE
399 Queen St, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia
CO-ORGANIZING PARTNERS
With a vision to create water leaders for the future, the Australian-based International WaterCentre (IWC) fosters innovative thinking in the water sector to build the capacity of water professionals, globally and in Australia, to lead the changes needed in the water sector.
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IWC has an exceptionally strong international reputation and brand, having produced over 1000 alumni from their education and training programs and courses, from 86 different countries. IWC leads a globally unique, collaboratively delivered master’s program, which in 2018 received over 650 scholarship applications. IWC attracts repeat work from clients, such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, WaterAid and DFAT, and has won several awards for both education and research.
IWC is uniquely positioned in the sector, with national and international knowledge networks and a demonstrated breadth of expertise in WASH. Since 2008, IWC has managed the delivery of WASH conferences, which have grown to become one of the region’s leading water, sanitation and hygiene meeting places. WASH2018 attracted more than 400 registrations, with participants from 35 countries. This was the highest attended domestic WASH conference on record. IWC has successfully obtained funding from donor banks and aid agencies on many occasions over the past 12 years, some with the purpose to design and deliver major industry events, including WASH conferences and River symposium conferences.
Based in Switzerland, Waterpreneurs is a global for-impact organisation, supporting the scaling-up of impact investments financing the growth of “water nexus” businesses, operating in developing countries.
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Waterpreneurs brings extensive knowledge of the sector, impact investing and facilitation of marketplaces. In June 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland, Waterpreneurs initiated the "Innovate 4 Water" series of marketplace forums, with a global plan to expand to other regions (over the next ten years) with a focus on cities leading in the fields of water and sanitation, entrepreneurship and innovation, and impact finance.
Business Models INC. is a global business design agency specializing in strategy and innovation.
CONTACT
Nicolas Lorne
Waterpreneurs
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nicolas.lorne [@] waterpreneurs.net